Posted by DEAN SKIP RUTHERFORD –
*While gas prices under $2 a gallon are a welcomed sight, national and international economic challenges continue. The decline in retail sales, increased unemployment and layoffs/hiring freezes are among many factors making these times tough for individuals and families. Given these conditions, the Clinton School public service project work all over the country and the world is now more important than ever. Additionally, our free public program/speaker series provides educational, cultural and social experiences regardless of economic status. Our Clinton school speaker series web site (www.clintonschoolspeakers.com) also enables people everywhere to watch these interesting and diverse programs online at their convenience. This educational outreach is an important part of public service at the Clinton School.
*Bruce Lindsey, the chief executive officer of the William J. Clinton Foundation and I were in Fayetteville, Arkansas this past week speaking to a political science class at the University of Arkansas and to the Northwest Arkansas Political Animals Club. The class is taught by former Senator and Clinton School Dean David Pryor. For both groups Bruce and I discussed presidential transitions since both of us were on the 1992/1993 Clinton Presidential Transition staff. While there, it was great to see Clinton School Student Jonathan Mwaba who is working this semester at the World Trade Center in Rogers, Arkansas.
*Clinton School students Sarah Clark, Ashley Davis, Nicholas Hall, Sanford Johnson and Russ Swearingen–who participated in our school’s November 3 election eve panel, “Youth Energized and Voting,” and projected greater turnout–were right. Based on preliminary statistics the 18-29 voter total this year was between 22.8 and 23.1 million, nearly 3.4 million more young voters than in 2004. This means that the 2008 youth voting percentage (about 52 percent) will be the second highest youth presidential turnout since 1972 (55.4 percent) when 18 year olds were able to vote for President for the first time. One interesting statistic: In 1984 Republican Ronald Reagan received 59 percent of the youth vote. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama received 66 percent.
*Congratulations to our neighbor the Museum of Discovery (Arkansas’s largest museum) on receiving a $9.2 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation for the renovation of its facility including three new galleries. The Museum of Discovery is located only a few blocks from the Clinton School and is one of our state’s major educational and tourism attractions.