Former Governor Visits Campus
Siegelman addresses a crowd of attendees during Social at the Slab
Sarah Perrin
Issue date: 9/29/05 Section: News
|
On an event that took weeks of planning, club President, Sterling High, said, "We are very interested in getting students and faculty members involved with the political process and keeping them informed of the issues. We thought that the Governor would be able to attract...students to the event and talk about one of his main concerns, and our main concern, education." Not only was there a significant, rotating turnout of 75-100 people, "the students were excited that a former Governor was there and talking with them...He mainly talked about his concern with the current leadership, both nationally and on the state level. He explained the hypocrisy of those who opposed his lottery proposal. They fought their campaign against the lottery with casino money from out of state."
The Exponent Editor-in-Chief, Joseph Terrell, had an opportunity to speak briefly with Siegelman who said that he is seeking a second term as Governor of Alabama and is, in fact, currently vying for the Democratic nomination. He previously held the position from 1999-2003 until defeated by current Alabama Governor, Bob Riley. In past campaigns his recurring platform addressed Alabama's need of a state lottery to fund higher education: a practice seen in other states such as Tennessee and Georgia. Although struck down by Alabama voters during his time in office, the sentiment is all but past. On whether, if re-elected, he would propose an education lottery again, he said, "Absolutely. We've got to try to offer our young people a sense of hope." He also stated that there is definitely "a need to fully fund education, bringing in more and higher paying jobs, guaranteeing seniors greater nursing care."
The UAH College Democrats has a strong membership and continues to grow in numbers. They maintain an email database of nearly 200 students and have at least 25 that regularly attend meetings. You can join them in Morton Hall, room 337, on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 4 p.m., and on the second and fourth Wednesdays at 7 p.m. President, High says, "We plan on staying busy throughout the year. We are having a 'Freedom Fest' on the 19th of October in the Wilson Hall auditorium from 7 until 9. We're going to be celebrating the liberty and freedom that we as Americans enjoy. There will be free food, music and speakers...Our main goals this year are to keep the UAH community up to date on the issues that affect them, get them involved in the political process, and help out those less fortunate in our area through philanthropic work."