2008 Presidential Debate | The University of Mississippi

May 16, 2008

Presidential Debate Ups Special Learning Opportunities for Honors College Students

Four honors students set to report from Democratic and Republican national conventions

OXFORD, Miss. - Jake McGraw's fascination with politics took flight around his family's dinner table in Oxford when conversations sometimes turned into political debates.

A sophomore public policy leadership major in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi, McGraw and three honors college classmates -- Brent Caldwell of Ocean Springs, Claire Graves of Ackerman and Nickolaus Luckett of Drew -- are helping plan activities related to the country's first 2008 presidential debate to be hosted at UM Sept. 26.

They also are slated to attend the upcoming Democratic and Republican national conventions. McGraw and Caldwell are in line for the Democratic convention Aug. 25-28 in Denver, while Graves and Luckett head to the Republican event Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, Minn.

These opportunities are consistent with unique learning experiences available through the honors college, which impacts students' lives in ways that extend far beyond the classroom.

"We routinely send our students out into the world, and in sending these four off to the national conventions, we're taking a chance on their individual strengths and their ability to learn from the experience," said honors college Dean Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez. "That has a payoff for both the student and the honors college."

Established in 1997 with a gift from alumni Jim and Sally Barksdale, the honors college merges intellectual rigor with public service. It offers an education similar to that at prestigious private liberal arts schools and universities, but at a far lower cost. Small, discussion-based classes, dedicated faculty and a nurturing staff enable honors students to experience intellectual as well as personal growth.

The college hosts more than 670 undergraduate students from all majors. Readers Digest recognized it as one of the nation's outstanding honors colleges in 2005. For the last two years, more than 200 freshmen, averaging a 30 ACT and 3.85 high school GPA, have joined.

The high-performing students are provided with resources that support an increasing number of challenging courses, opportunities for experiential learning here and abroad, and avenues for effective engagement with community concerns. The vibrant center of academic excellence is intended to help them become outstanding in their fields and engaged citizens of their communities and the world. Indeed, the SMBHC has become a cornerstone of the university.

"Inside the classroom, I feel like I'm getting an education on par with any in the country," McGraw said. "Outside the classroom, I have access to opportunities that few universities can match. The convention is evidence of that."

Said Sullivan-Gonzalez, "The fact that political systems affect everyday life for all of us is a reality our students are expected to deal with and improve upon, if they can. The debate is going to be galvanizing. It is a historic, transformative moment, and we fully expect all of our honor students to be front row, center in the wealth of events occurring around the debate itself."

Besides unexpected amenities such as the headline election year event, honors college students routinely are challenged to go beyond the classroom to prove themselves. Two examples are the freshman ventures trip and the sophomore service trip.

"The SMBHC has been an unending source of opportunities for me to learn and grow both academically and personally," said Graves, a sophomore marketing communications major. "From honors housing to discussion-based classes to amazing experiences like the freshman ventures trip, the honors college has made my college experience exactly what I had hoped it would be: exciting, challenging, and inspiring."

Started in 2002, the freshman ventures trip provides the students an opportunity to exceed expectations and travel the country. For some, it is the first time to fly on an airplane. Adventures have included talking with Linda Greenlaw, the writer and captain who survived "The Perfect Storm," and NPR host Krista Tippett, as well as a Nobel Prize-winning chemist and the architect who investigated the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

For the sophomore service trips, students do all the planning, including selecting a city for their travels, arranging service work as a volunteer and handling the logistics of travel and accommodation. Destinations have included Seattle, Boston and Chicago.

Last fall, the Ole Miss community celebrated SMBHC's 10th anniversary, as well as the university's longtime commitment to work with high-performing students who demonstrate a commitment to the academy and to their world. McGraw, Caldwell, Graves and Luckett are exemplary of such students.

Luckett, a freshman with a double major in public policy leadership and classics, and a minor in Japanese, said the honors college is a primary reason he came to Ole Miss.

"It has helped me transition well into college, coming from a relatively small area," Luckett said. "Class sizes are small, so I don't feel overwhelmed, and the faculty is always there to help when I need them. Also, it made finding friends so much easier, by putting a diverse group of students together, who encourage and challenge each other. It's like another family."

McGraw agreed, saying this is an especially exciting time to be an Ole Miss student.

"Even though the four of us have been working since December to plan debate-related activities for students, I still have a difficult time conceiving the magnitude and significance of the debate," McGraw said. "The university's selection only confirms what all of us here already knew, that this is a very special place. But it's still surreal that the road to the White House will run through Oxford."

Graves pointed to other opportunities the debate brings. "What an outstanding opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the political process. I think that having the debate on campus will get more Ole Miss students interested in politics, the issues and voting. It is also such a great chance for us to showcase our university and the state of Mississippi to the world."

Caldwell expressed hope that this exposure might change the state's image.

"As a native Mississippian, I'm excited about the chance to showcase my community on the world stage. Mississippi has, what is in the modern time, an undeserved bad rap. I hope the debate gives us a chance to change that."

McGraw is equally excited about seeing the Democratic Convention from all angles off-camera and behind the scenes -- the preparation, the procedures, the personalities and, of course, the politics -- and sharing the experience live with fellow Ole Miss students.

"The four of us want to serve as representatives for the Ole Miss student body. We will serve as their eyes and ears and report back regularly through the Internet and student media."

Sullivan-Gonzalez believes the students are up for the task.

"All four of these students struck us as not just intelligent, but as students we could count on to come back and enrich the environment at the University of Mississippi. They have approached all of this with integrity and enormous energy."

The idea of giving back is expected of the students, whose convention trips have been made possible by the honors college and UM's Lott Leadership Institute. In connection with the conventions, they also are slated to attend the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, which have been held every presidential election year since 1984. A two-week seminar is taught as an academic course composed of a combination of formal instruction, guest lectures, panels, tours, site visits and fieldwork assignments. During the week of the convention, events of each previous day are analyzed and the upcoming events are discussed.

Graves said she looks forward to the convention and is hoping the discussions and interaction with political leaders, as well as with other students, give her a better understanding of the political process and the issues involved in the 2008 presidential campaign.

"Attending the Republican National Convention will be quite a memorable experience in and of itself, but I feel that taking part in the Washington Center's seminar program will allow me to learn a lot from the experience as well," Graves said. "I am most excited about the fieldwork assignment that we will be receiving. I am hoping to get to work with an interest group related to education or with a party official."

Although they may be on opposite sides of the aisle politically, the four students agree that they are receiving a top-quality education through the honors college.

"Since its founding, the honors college has had the mission of sending graduates out into the world to make a difference and not just to make a living," said Sullivan-Gonzalez.

McGraw counts on his experiences at the Democratic Convention and his work with the presidential debate to help him make an important decision toward fulfilling that mission.

"I hope that these opportunities give me a better understanding of whether politics is something I want to do with my life," McGraw said.

For more information on the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, go to
http://www.honors.olemiss.edu.

For more information about the presidential debate at Ole Miss, visit
http://debate.olemiss.edu.

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