IOP Fellows Eager To Reach Out to Students

With the appointment of a former diplomat, two Congressmen—one Democrat and one Republican—a capitol hill operative, and a former adviser to American forces in Iraq, organizers at the Institute of Politics say that they have tried to look beyond just candidates’ resumes and select a crop of spring fellows willing to engage with students on campus.

“[The selection committee] wanted to see enthusiasm for working with people in college and their ability to build real relationship with the people who were ultimately going to become their liaisons and attend their study groups,” said Cyrus B. Kornfeld ‘12, co-chair of the Fellows and Study Groups Program.

According to Program Manager Eric R. Andersen, the program considers input from students involved with the IOP as well as other student groups and tries to bring in fellows that will appeal to as large a group of students as possible. He added that the selection committee focuses on bringing a group that had a diverse group of experiences and was ideologically balanced.

Many of the fellows said they were excited to share their personal experiences with Harvard students and faculty. They also said they hoped to use their unique perspectives to shed light on the political process.

Caroline J. Croft, a former senior advisor at the State Department, said that she would gear her study group toward issues of diplomacy, democracy, and politics. She said she hopes to cover topics from globalization to counterterrorism in an effort to encourage young people to dedicate themselves to a life of service.

Ellen Qualls, a senior adviser to former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, said that she hopes to share an inside perspective of her involvement in recent legislative efforts, including health care reform.

Former Congressman Bart Stupak said that he hopes to start off his study group with a town hall style meeting to learn what topics most interest the students. But he said that he also plans to touch on crucial events with which he has been involved, including the health care debate.

Stupak rose to national prominence during the debate over health care reform by attaching an amendment to the House version of the bill that would have prevented federal funds from covering abortion procedures.

The Congressman backed down from his amendment when President Obama agreed to sign an executive order that included restrictions on federal funding for the procedure.

Along with discussing his own eighteen-year tenure as an elected official, Stupak said he hopes to inspire young people to follow a path to public service.

“I believe strongly that young people need to be involved in politics and public service,” Stupak said. “Government really needs their energy to help us solve problems. They can bring enthusiasm and creativity to many of the problems we confront as a nation.”

John McConnell, a speechwriter for the George W. Bush White House, expressed a similar desire to inspire college students to get involved in political life.

“I am looking forward to sharing as much of what I’ve learned as possible with the students, and I hope I will be able to inspire students to pursue a career in politics or at the very least become better aware of how the political world works,” McConnell said.

—Staff writer Monica M. Dodge can be reached at mdodge@college.harvard.edu.