Five Students Study Transition of Power in Washington
01/10/2017
By Katharine Webster
Jessica Kergo will get to witness Donald Trump鈥檚 inauguration firsthand 鈥� and is already learning more about Trump and his Cabinet picks, thanks to a unique educational program in Washington.
鈥淭he campaign is only the surface. It will be good to learn more in-depth about their platform and their agenda,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e never really explored D.C., so that will be fun.鈥�
Kergo, a sophomore honors student double-majoring in political science and English, is one of five 51视频 students taking a two-week course on the transition of power at (TWC) this month.
鈥淐an We Elevate Political Discourse?鈥� examines the election and the incoming administration鈥檚 policies on immigration, climate change and the environment, trade and the economy, racial equity, foreign relations and national security.
The students are earning three credits while living and studying with college students from around the country. They鈥檙e also touring museums and monuments and performing community service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The trip culminates with the inauguration on Jan. 20, thanks to tickets provided by U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, whose district includes Lowell and Lawrence.
As many as 15 to 20 UML students each year spend a semester interning and learning at TWC in Washington, and the university sends several students to the center鈥檚 Democratic and Republican convention programs every four years. But Francis Talty, assistant dean of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, says this is the first time students have asked to attend the inauguration seminar. The college is paying part of the cost with dean鈥檚 scholarships.
鈥淭he students really put this together themselves,鈥� Talty says. 鈥淭he campaign was intense, so students felt a vested interest.鈥�
Sophomore David Todisco, a political science major and passionate Clinton volunteer, was stunned when his candidate lost the Electoral College despite winning the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes. When he applied for the inauguration seminar, he thought he鈥檇 be celebrating the historic installation of the first woman president. Now he鈥檚 hoping to better understand Trump鈥檚 supporters and the role of the Electoral College.
Kergo, who leans right, campaigned for former New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, but voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson for president. An intern with the nonprofit Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, she鈥檚 interested in budget and economic issues as well as Trump鈥檚 plans for national security.
鈥淢y biggest concern right now is how well the country is prepared to defend itself against terrorism,鈥� she says.
An estimated 800,000 to 1 million Trump supporters are expected at the inauguration, along with a substantial number of protesters.
Adeja Crearer, an aspiring broadcast journalist, brought her video camera to Washington. She鈥檚 working on a documentary about race for her Honors College capstone project.
鈥淚 want to interview people about race relations, police brutality and affirmative action under our first African-American president and what they expect under Donald Trump,鈥� she says.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to tie it together with my findings from the convention and try to make sense of the entire 2016 election.鈥�
Also attending were Amie Bonsaint of Peabody and Pamela Martinez of Miami. Both are political science majors and aspiring lawyers.
