Election Implications Discussion 1
On Nov. 10, seven members of the Penn State community discussed the implications of the election of the first African-American president of the United States. On the panel were Susan Welch, Cary Fraser, David Myers, Sam Thompson, Dan Letwin, W. Terrell Jones and Laurie Mulvey.
Election Implications Discussion 2
Sam Thompson, professor of law, told the audience: "This guy inspires me and will inspire millions of Americans, too."
Election Implications Discussion 3
Cary Fraser, associate professor of African and African-American studies and history, said that President-elect Barack Obama is a Constitutional lawyer who must restore Constitutional rule that has been fractured in the past administration.
Election Implications Discussion 4
Susan Welch, dean of the College of the Liberal Arts and a political scientist, felt that President-elect Barack Obama has brought many people together, but the expectations from him will be great.
Election Implications Discussion 5
Laurie Mulvey, co-director of Race Relations Project at Penn State, stated the much of our dialogue on race relations has been scripted and that President-elect Barack Obama has been very unscripted when it comes to race relations in America.
Election Implications Discussion 6
W. Terrell Jones, vice provost of educational equity, asked the question: "What do we see now that we didn't see before? This is a new environment for our children."
Election Implications Discussion 7
Dan Letwin, associate professor of history, said that we are a part of an historical event and that President-elect Barack Obama's ability to inspire a nation was greatly felt.
Election Implications Discussion 8
David Myers, associate professor of political science, noted that since we are a multicultural nation, the time has come for a multicultural president.
Election Implications Discussion 9
An audience of 100-plus people filled the room in the IST lecture hall. The event was sponsored by the Black Graduate Student Association and the Penn State NAACP.
