By Jesse Coleman
Students will have the opportunity to get an inside look at politics as a U.S. Senator speaks on campus Tuesday, Jan. 8.
Senator Robert Bennett, R-Utah will speak at an open forum at 3 p.m. in 115 MCKB. Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science club with a local chapter at BYU, will host the event.
“Our goal is to create a buzz on campus,” said Linsy Heiner, chairman of the speakers committee for Pi Sigma Alpha and senior majoring in political science. “We”d love anyone to come.”
Bennett will speak for a scheduled ten minutes and then open up the rest of the time to students who have questions.
Topics Bennett is scheduled to cover issues including the war on terrorism and other current events, said Larry Shephard, deputy state director for Bennett. However, this ten-minute presentation is mostly there to warm up the crowd, Shephard said.
The main purpose of the forum is to allow students to ask Sen. Bennett any question they have, said Wade Jacoby, BYU associate political science professor. Jacoby, who has been faculty advisor for PSA for two years, said students will have an opportunity to get in-depth answers on a wide variety of subjects.
“The great thing about speaking with U.S. Senators is they typically have a mastery of a wide range of subjects,” Jacoby said. “Senators know something about the whole gamut of legislation.”
Bennett”s own purpose in coming to campus is to make the senator available to students on campus, Shephard said.
“Senator Bennett enjoys visiting campus. He feels it”s part of his duty as a senator to give something back to the students of the state,” Shephard said.
Heiner said Bennett”s office originally contacted the PSA and asked if Bennett could come and speak.
Bennett makes regular trips to campuses across the state and comes annually to BYU, usually at the request of some campus group, Shephard said.
An expected 120 people will attend the forum, Heiner said. The forum was announced across campus by the PSA in classes and flyers in the Wilkinson Student Center. Heiner said PSA has never had a problem filling the room or having enough questions.
“Every month we”ll do an event,” she said.
Past speakers at PSA forums include Utah State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon. Speakers are either actively solicited by the chapter, or the chapter receives offers to speak from politicians who are on an election campaign, Jacoby said.
