 |
| Presidential candidate John McCain speaks at a Town Hall Meeting at Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion. |
OU political science students experienced the national election process up close when they attended a Town Hall Meeting organized by the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign committee at Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion.
Instead of meeting in the classroom, students in the Intro to Political Science course, taught by Associate Professor David Dulio, gathered Wednesday, May 7 to hear Republican contender John McCain’s remarks about human rights. McCain fielded questions from the audience of 700, ranging from troops in Iraq, to his temper and fuel economy standards.
Dulio said McCain reinforced issues he will be covering in class. When asked about Michigan’s water resource being shared with other states, McCain said people who live in the Great Lakes States should decide what happens to their water.
“Next week in class I will be covering federalism,” said Dulio. “That was a great lesson about power sharing between national and state government, and how they sort through conflicts.”
Dulio is hoping OU also is a campaign stop for the Democratic candidate. "I would bring my students to that event as well. This was a great experience for students to be in the presence of someone who may be the future president of the United States,” said Dulio. “This was the most beneficial to those who don't agree on the issues. Senator McCain talked with and took questions from those in the audience who disagreed and challenged him. “
McCain’s words had an impact on Alicia Cavazos, public administration major. “Hearing this today changed some of my ideas,” she said. “I learned a lot.”
Fellow classmate, Zena Ahmed, political science major agreed, “I thought it was a great experience. I learned a lot about how the political process works."
Dulio will offer two courses this fall focusing on the election, including Politics in 30 Seconds, a capstone course that will explore political television advertising, and General Elections and Voting Behavior.
OU political science students experienced the national election process up close when they attended a Town Hall Meeting organized by the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign committee at Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion. Instead of meeting in the classroom, students in the Intro to Political Science course, taught by Associate Professor David Dulio, gathered Wednesday, May 7 to hear Republican contender John McCain’s remarks about human rights. McCain fielded questions from the audience of 700, ranging from troops in Iraq, to his temper and fuel economy standards.