Four Students to Discuss Personal Experiences at 2012 Political Conventions During Forum

Four East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) students who attended the 2012 national political conventions this summer will share their experiences in American politics and will discuss their participation at The Washington Center’s 2012 National Convention Seminars during a program on Monday, October 22 at 2 p.m. in the ESU student senate chambers, located on the second floor of the University Center. The event is open to the general public at no cost.

The four students sent reflections and comments from the convention floors via blogs that were posted on the university’s website (http://quantumnew.esu.edu/national_convention). The students are Evan D’Aversa, a political science and computer science major of Reeders, Pa.; Amy Okale Majani, a political science major of Nairobi, Kenya; Thomas Fail, a management and leadership – public administration graduate student who has a bachelor of arts degree in economics and history, of Warrington, Pa; and Salvatore Marino, a political science major with a concentration in public administration, of East Stroudsburg, Pa. D’Aversa and Majani attended the Republican Convention in Tampa, Fla. and students Fail and Marino attended the Democratic Convention in Charlotte, N.C. as part of the program sponsored by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (http://www.twc.edu).

The intent of ESU students’ participation was for them to gain a first-hand practical understanding of the details and nuances associated with presidential nominating conventions. The ESU students were expected to write an eight to ten page research paper about their experiences; write several blogs for the University while attending the conventions; interview a politician who serves in a local, state, or national office; and participate in the forum on October 22 to share their experiences with other students.

“This type of learning experience certainly cannot be imparted in the traditional classroom setting,” said Dr. Kimberly S. Adams, associate professor of political science. “The intent of ESU students’ participation in the national convention programs is to gain a first-hand practical understanding of the details and nuances associated with presidential nominating conventions. As a professor of political science,” says Dr. Adams, “I believe that it is essential that students are exposed to hands-on politics and participate in such experiential programs, as it adds to their knowledge of the subject matter and allows for meaningful dialogue in class discussions.”

Students responded to a campus-wide application announcement from the political science department. They were selected based upon their grade point average, which had a minimum requirement of 3.0 (the average GPA for the four students selected is 3.8). The students needed to be at least a sophomore, had to submit two letters of recommendation, and were required to write a 500 word personal statement of the perceived benefits of participating in the convention program.

For more information about the forum, please contact Dr. Adams at 570-422-3924 or at ksadams@esu.edu. For more information about ESU’s political science programs, visit www.esu.edu, or to learn about The Washington Center, visit http://www.twc.edu/seminars/programs.

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