Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Academic Year 2011/2012 IN THIS ISSUE: Tools to Create Change By Dr. Adam Hoffman, Director • Tools to Affect Change • Thanksgiving Volunteer Event rom the Arab Day, PACE co-sponsored a lecture by • Leah Reynolds Is New Spring to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Managing Director FOccupy Wall Secretary Alexander Sanchez, who spoke • Scholar Barbecue Kick-Off Street Movement, it’s about the Maryland Dream Act. In addition, • 9/11 Ten Years Later Forum hard to view the we had Special Assistant to the Secretary of political world in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs • Attorney General Gansler Dr. Adam Hoffman, Director recent months Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs Commemorates Constitution Day without Janko Mitric speak about the relationship of • Delegate Jones Receives acknowledging the growing role that young Congress to the executive branch when it Hargreaves Fellowship people have played, as they try to get their comes to military and foreign policy concerns. voices heard on a variety of economic and Our Presidential Citizen Scholar class was • Author Perlstein Lecture on political issues. From “taking it to the streets” to visited by two Maryland state legislators as the Tea Party voting for your favorite candidate, political and well as two lobbyists, providing Scholars with • Veteran Affairs Lecturer civic engagement takes on many forms. While an insiders’ look at how politics really occurs • Presidential Citizen Scholar young people seeking radical change in the at the state level. Speaker Series Middle East often have no other ways to engage Through our varied speakers, our students, in the political system other than mass protest, we particular, begin to understand the tensions • Voter Registration Project are fortunate that in the United States multiple involved in public policy, and in many cases, as pathways for change do exist. Even more they reflect on what the speakers say, we see fortunate, in the university setting, we have a them grow more confident in their belief that captive audience of bright students, many of they can made a difference in impacting society Your vote counts. whom are not only concerned about getting a for the public good – what political scientists Your vote is your voice in good job when they graduate, but are also quite refer to as internal political efficacy. Also, it is eager to learn how they can reach their full clear that building up the confidence of students government. Be heard, potential when it comes to being active citizens to believe that they are capable of navigating who possess the tools to create political change. the political system in a variety of situations will make sure Through the Presidential Citizen Scholars likely lead to continued political and civic you register Program, we have continued to dive into engagement throughout their lives. our role helping students to gain these tools We also have had some exciting staff changes to vote. for change. The Scholars Program is a at PACE this semester. After long-time PACE multi-faceted, civic engagement experience Managing Director Ginie Lynch left this past that provides students with skills, as well as summer, a tremendous effort by Robby Sheehan the confidence and belief that they can (a former Presidential Citizen Scholar and SU make a difference, to create political change grad, Class of 2011), acting as interim through coursework, lectures, volunteer managing director for the early part of the activities and internships. semester, helped make all our events possible, This past fall, PACE tapped into the especially our highly successful food drive. PACE’s Mission Maryland policy world and beyond to bring a Fortunately, Robby is still a presence at SU, variety of dynamic speakers to campus. We currently serving as interim director of Statement: have found that our students as well as the government affairs for the University. I am also The Institute for Public Affairs surrounding campus community benefit very excited to welcome new Managing greatly by being exposed to policy makers in Director Leah Reynolds. Leah comes to us from and Civic Engagement exists the classroom setting, as they learn about the Pittsburgh, PA, and brings with her many years to teach political engagement real life role that those policy makers play in of experience working in the nonprofit sector. I and promote civil discourse. dealing with complex issues and political am confident that PACE will continue to soar to processes. For Constitution Day, Maryland new heights as Leah shares her enthusiasm and Attorney General Doug Gansler spoke about zeal for political and civic engagement with our civil rights in the state. For Latino Heritage students and the surrounding SU community. www.salisbury.edu/pace 1 2 PACE News Thanksgiving Leah Reynolds Is New Managing Director Volunteer Event By Elaina Iosue By Elaina Iosue s 2012 arrived, it brought with that matter to PACE: the student body of it a new managing director for the SU, the faculty of SU and the community Institute for Public Affairs and of Salisbury.” n November 19, the Institute for A Civic Engagement. PACE welcomes Reynolds hopes to strengthen the Public Affairs and Civic Leah M. Reynolds, a nonprofit executive connection between students and faculty OEngagement (PACE) teamed up with from Pittsburgh. at the University, and to help the local the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Reynolds received a master’s degree in community through civic engagement (UMES) to provide 600 families in need a box professional leadership, with a focus on projects along with partnering and filled with a hearty Thanksgiving meal. The non-profits and foundations collaboration with local Department of Social Services for Wicomico from Carlow University and community groups. and Somerset counties distributed vouchers to a legal studies degree from With new plans individual families to pick up their box of food the University of underway, she also hopes at Salisbury University for Wicomico County Pittsburgh. Reynolds has to put emphasis on and UMES for Somerset County. taught courses in all areas of building leadership skills UMES has been administering the program fundraising, grant writing for the participants in the in Somerset County for the past two years. and research, building Presidential Citizen This year, Phillip Thomas and Clifton nonprofit boards, directing Scholar Program. Harcum, two area directors for the UMES annual campaigns, and “This group of Residence Life Office, reached out to SU to marketing non-profits at the students will get an expand the program. “After hearing how Community College of opportunity to fully incredible this program was, PACE was eager Allegheny County’s appreciate and understand to jump on board,” said Robby Sheehan, past Nonprofit Professional Leah Reynolds, the impact that they can interim director of PACE. Academy. She has served in Managing Director have. This Institute is Community members and student leadership positions of non-profit about learning how to become politically volunteers packed each box with dinner for organizations for the past 18 years and has engaged within your community at any four with a variety of items. Each box much experience. level and becoming a leader in any contained chicken, pasta and pasta sauce, Reynolds has already begun mapping environment. Change does come from canned fruit and vegetables, turnips, soda, out new plans and goals for the Institute. civil discourse, civil polite discourse bread, macaroni and cheese, and a dessert. “I want to raise the profile of this involving honest, straightforward opinions Residents arrived by taxi, carpooled or even Institute,” Reynolds said. “I want to and communication of facts. At its core, walked to pick up their meal. reconfigure the way we present ourselves civility requires respectful engagement: a “It was incredible to witness the kindness of so that people know our goal is to teach willingness to consider other views and strangers to help others have a wonderful political engagement and promote civil place them in the context of history and holiday,” said junior Sarah Krauss, discourse, focusing on the three audiences life experiences.” communication arts - journalism and English major and a Presidential Citizen Scholar. “This event was a demonstration of the power of civic engagement. Because of the determination of all volunteers, what would have taken a few people multiple hours took our group less than one hour.” To prepare for the Thanksgiving Day event, PACE held a campus-wide food drive to collect non-perishable goods for the Maryland Food Bank during the fall 2011 semester. The efforts of the drive resulted in 731 pounds of food that would go toward feeding 562 families of four. “Hunger is still a very real thing, and it is important for people to realize this and help out where they can,” said James Carpenter, a senior music and theatre major. “Somewhere in everyone’s home there is a can of soup sitting on the shelf.” Feeding these families just for a day will not fix the underlying problem of hunger throughout Maryland. For more information about how you can help satisfy hunger, visit the Maryland Food Bank’s Web site at www.mdfoodbank.org. Presidential Citizen Scholars filling boxes for the Thanksgiving Food Drive. PACE News 3 9/11 10 Years Later Forum By Elaina Iosue One day after the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE) held a forum analyzing the long-term effects of the tragic terrorist attacks Presidential Citizen Scholars 2011-2012 that took nearly 3,000 lives. “It was an opportunity to reflect on Scholar Barbecue Kick-Off one of the most terrible events in American history,” said Dr. Maarten By Elaina Iosue Pereboom, dean of the Fulton he 2011-2012 Presidential Citizen graduate assistant for community government School of Liberal Arts.