Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Meeting A Political Visionary

By Bill Rappleye

I met a visionary last night.  Father Jonathan DeFelice, the longtime president of St. Anselm College.  Political junkies know it well, but it’s not a large school; just 2000 students.  Founded in 1889, the Catholic school is on the cutting edge of politics.  If you saw the debates this weekend (watched by some seven million Americans), you saw part of the St. Anselm campus.  Since the primary began attracting candidates to the Granite State, St. Anselm had held debates.  But it wasn’t until Fr. Jon established the Institute for Politics on campus just seven years ago, that the confluence of the primaries and the Manchester, New Hampshire, Benedictine college became a “must” stop on the road to the primary.  And as he says, every student on campus has the chance in their four years at school, to meet the next President of the United States.  No surprise, then, that so many politically inclined students are at school there.

Nowadays, the collegians have the chance to work for the candidate of their choice, in a big league campaign.  Or, at least this year, they can intern for one of the two networks that hosted debates on the campus.

Like sophomore Stu Zim, from nearby Salem, NH.  He was working for one of the TV outfits, and said his biggest thrill yet was handing a water bottle to the moderator before the man went on stage.  Hardly a critical role, but the kind of thing that can infect a young man with a bug, that could guide his future.  Like Danielle Pixley, from Fall River.  She came to college thinking she wanted to be a lawyer…to help people.  After three years at St. Anselm, she sees how she might use a law degree to help her get ahead in politics, or journalism, and maybe help even more people.