SXU students attend Washington Center in week leading up to Inauguration

Listen to WBBM 780 AM interview

(From L to R) Mark Piper, Stoughton, WI; Jeff Otway, Frankfort; Brittne Martin, Chicago; Lindsey Herzog, Eder Prairie, MN; CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer; Eric Gomez, Oak Forest; and Erin Slifka, Oak Lawn at the Washington Center in Washington, D.C.

Chicago (Jan. 16, 2009) Nine Saint Xavier University students glimpsed American politics in action this week, including the appointment of U.S. Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) and the U.S. Senate vote on the $350 billion stimulus package.

The students are attending seminars at the Washington Center in Washington, D.C. before seeing the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. Please CTRL + click here to listen to WBBM 780 AM news coverage of the trip.

The students have seen several high-profile figures in America’s political sphere, including White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb, Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, National Public Radio/British Broadcasting Corporation Senior News Analyst Ted Koppel and Chicago Tribune Senior Editorial Board Member/Columnist Clarence Page.

During a C-SPAN panel discussion, Saint Xavier student Amanda Holmes posed a question to C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb. The interview will air at 7 p.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 16 on C-SPAN.

The students spent the next day in the U.S. Senate and witnessed several historic events. They first saw Vice President Dick Cheney swear in Roland Burris, recently impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s controversial choice to fill Obama’s vacant Senate seat.

Student Jeff Otway said seeing Burris sworn-in was a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.
“How many times do constituents get the opportunity to see their senator sworn in?” he said.

After, they watched the vote on the Troubled Assets Relief Program, more commonly known as the $350 billion economic stimulus package.

Student Lindsey Herzog said seeing the Senators in action helped her think of them as people instead of distant figures on television.

“It allowed me to see their personalities,” she said. “It was also exciting to know I was witnessing a vote on an important bill that will hopefully help resolve our economic problems."

-SXU-

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Rick Ducat
773-298-3325 or ducat@sxu.edu