May 8, 2008

Video: Politics and the Changing Nature of Journalism

This panel discussion features Al Eisele, Editor-at-Large of The Hill, blogger on Huffington Post, former Washington correspondent for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and Press Secretary to Vice President Walter Mondale, Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman, Kitty Eisele, editor, National Public Radio, Fred de Sam Lazaro, Correspondent, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and SJU Chair in Critical Thinking, Nick Hayes.

Students participate in Washington Summer Study Program 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thirteen students from the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, and Saint John’s University, Collegeville, are participating in the Washington Summer Study Program through the end of July.

The program, operated by the political science department in conjunction with The Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at CSB-SJU, is designed to provide students an opportunity to live and work in the Washington, D.C., area while earning academic credit. Each student serves in a Congressional office, on a committee staff, in a government agency, in a nonprofit organization, or with a public affairs group, learning and working in a community. They apply for their internships based on their interests.

In addition to the work experience, program co-directors Matt Lindstrom, associate professor of political science at CSB-SJU, and Claire Haeg, assistant professor of political science at CSB-SJU, conduct weekly seminars and arrange supplemental meetings with alumnae/i and other professionals to enhance the learning experience. Among the alumnae/i who have spoken to the students are David Rehr, ’81, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters; and Peg McGlinch, ’95, former chief of staff for Rep. Tim Walz (D, Minn.).

Students serving internships from CSB include:

  • Bibi Abdalla, a junior political science major from St. Paul, Minn., is interning at the office of Representative Keith Ellison (D, Minn.);
  • Laura Johnson, a junior political science major from Minnetonka, Minn., is interning at the offices of David Turch and Associates, a government relations firm which provides strategic planning, legislative goal setting, and political analysis;
  • Kristina Nesse, a junior political science and economics double major from Albert Lea, Minn., is interning at the office of Senator Amy Klobuchar (D, Minn.);
  • Jessica Vining, a senior political science and philosophy double major from Troutdale, Oregon, is interning at the offices of Dutko Worldwide, a government affairs strategy firm.
Students serving internships from SJU include:
  • Erik R. Anderson, a junior political science major from Eden Prairie, Minn., is interning at the office of Representative Keith Ellison (D, Minn.);
  • Colin Blair, a sophomore political science and prelaw major from Anchorage, Alaska, is interning at the offices of the Americans for Tax Reform;
  • Barry Griffin, a junior political science major from Nassau, Bahamas, is interning at the offices of Caribbean-Central American Action, an organization working to promote economic development in the Caribbean and Central America;
  • Brad Hagemeier, a senior political science and economics double major from Eden Valley, Minn., is interning with the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives;
  • Jacob Haider, a junior political science and history double major from Forest Lake, Minn, is interning at the office of Senator Norm Coleman (R, Minn.);
  • Daniel Haller, a junior political science and peace studies double major from Albertville, Minn., is interning at the D.C. Public Defender’s office;
  • Jeffrey Schnobrich, a junior political science major from New Ulm, Minn, is interning at the Transportation Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives;
  • Boris Sekulic, a junior political science major from Bosnia and Herzegovina, is interning at the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
  • Sean Suter, a sophomore political science major from Rochester, Minn, is interning at the office of Senator Barak Obama (D, Ill)
For more information on the Washington Summer Study Program, click here.

Stearns County Courts Internship

Project assistance with the Stearns County Adult Drug Court and Stearns County Family Dependency Treatment Court

Brigid Murphy '89 is the coordinator for both of these courts and would provide guidance and oversight to an intern. You may reach Brigid via e-mail at brigid.murphy@courts.state.mn.us or her direct office number is 320-656-6364.

May 7, 2008

Video: Eugene McCarthy memorial service

The Saint John's memorial Mass from January 23, 2006. Abbot John Klassen of Saint John's Abbey will be the celebrant. Eulogists include Walter Mondale, former U.S. vice president; Albert Eisele, a Saint John’s alumnus and a long-time Washington journalist whose book, "Almost to the Presidency," is a biographical review of Eugene McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey; Eugene McCarthy’s son, Michael; and the Rev. Hilary Thimmesh, OSB, president emeritus at Saint John’s.

CenterCast on iTunes

Sign up for CenterCast, the McCarthy Center podcast, for audio and video on iTunes and your iPod. By signing up, our lectures, events, meetings, and video will always be up-to-date on your computer.

To get iTunes, click here. For more ways to subscribe to the CenterCast feed, click here.

May 5, 2008

Public Innovators Undergraduate Internship

Root Cause is a nonprofit organization that accelerates enduring solutions to social and economic problems by supporting social innovators and educating social impact investors. We do this through business planning and implementation, leadership development, research, and the creation of professional and funding networks that unite the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Our key initiatives include consulting, social enterprises, knowledge sharing, research, and public policy.

Public Innovators, a nonpartisan Root Cause initiative, introduces government leaders at the city, state, and federal levels to social entrepreneurship and guides them in identifying and advancing transformative and sustainable solutions to today's toughest social problems. Public Innovators builds off our work with the Louisiana Lieutenant Governor’s Office, as well as two Root Cause reports: Social Entrepreneurship and Government: A New Breed of Entrepreneurs Developing Solutions to Social Problems, published by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Advancing Social Entrepreneurship: Recommendations for Policy Makers and Government Agencies, a co-publication with The Aspen Institute. These publications and more information are available at www.publicinnovators.com.

About the Internship

The director of Public Innovators is Minnesota-based and seeks an unpaid intern for the summer, with the possibility that the position may be extended into and through the academic year. The intern may also apply for academic credit.

A new initiative, Public Innovators is experiencing rapid growth and is at the cutting edge of research and practice on social problem solving. This internship offers an excellent opportunity for students to gain significant knowledge of and experience in: the nonprofit sector and nonprofit management; public policy and government; and innovative approaches to social problem solving. The intern will be expected to commit to a set number of hours each week and must have access to a personal computer. If committing to full-time work during the summer, the individual may be eligible for a stipend. There is some flexibility in the particular projects the intern will work on, depending on skill set and interests.

Possibilities include:

  • Brainstorm and research potential strategic partnerships
  • Contribute to fundraising and development strategy
  • Manage web outreach strategy, including Public Innovators’ own website, blog and wikis
  • Research critical policy issues in specific states
  • Conduct research and draft memos on policy issues and efforts, such as the creation of a social innovation fund and tax structure changes to enable new organizational forms
  • Administrative assistance
Additional Qualifications
  • Currently pursuing or recently completed an undergraduate degree
  • Excellent writing, communication, and interpersonal skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office, Internet, etc with access to own computer (laptop preferred)
  • Interest and comfort in working in an entrepreneurial, start-up environment
  • Ability to work independently and a desire to take on increased responsibility
  • Strong project management skills and public policy exposure desired
To Apply

Send your resume to Colleen Ebinger at cebinger@rootcause.org with a cover letter describing your interest in the internship and your relevant skills/experience. Questions about the position are welcome.

Applications will be considered as they are received; priority consideration to early responses.

May 3, 2008

Eleven students participating as delegates in state party conventions

You don’t need to be a political science major to realize there are major differences between the Minnesota Republican and DFL political parties. But one thing is clear – students from the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, and Saint John’s University, Collegeville, will meet those differences head-on at each state convention.

Five students from SJU are delegates to the Republican state convention May 29-31, and six students from CSB and SJU are delegates to the DFL state convention June 6-8. Both conventions are in Rochester.

The Republican state delegates are SJU students Chase Kroll (sophomore, history major, Orono, Minn.), Colman Silbernagel (junior, political science and history, Perham, Minn.), Kurt Sorensen (senior, mathematics, Burnsville, Minn.), Heath Stoll (junior, accounting, Apple Valley, Minn.) and Chris Van Guilder (senior, political science, Delano, Minn.). SJU student Ryan Lais (sophomore, management, St. Paul) is an alternate delegate to the convention.

“CSB and SJU students add vibrancy to the Republican community with their youthful enthusiasm,” Sorensen said. “Even at the end of the day, we are standing up and speaking before the convention to talk about what we believe in. It’s encouraging to see so many students involved in the process – it shows that this generation cares about the direction of our country and who’s in charge.”

The DFL state delegates are CSB students Ashleigh Leitch (senior, political science/pre-law, Willmar, Minn.) and Robyn Meyer (senior, political science and Spanish, St. Cloud, Minn.), and SJU students Nick Hansen (sophomore, environmental studies, Wyoming, Minn.), Michael Johnson (sophomore, political science/pre-law, Eagan, Minn.), Joe Kane (senior, political science, Golden Valley, Minn.) and Matt Steinrueck (junior, environmental studies, Minneapolis). CSB student Sarah Gaida (senior, political science and peace studies, Rice, Minn.), and SJU students Eric Loehr (first-year, music, St. Cloud) and Zachary Shaheen (senior, biochemistry/pre-med, Elk River, Minn.) are alternate delegates to the convention.

Leitch has also been selected to be an alternate delegate to the Democratic National Convention Aug. 25-28 in Denver.

“The importance of civic engagement at CSB and SJU has sparked a new interest and dialogue on campus and this is the end result: People are getting excited about the change and impact they have in making a society that reflects the Benedictine values of the common good, service, stewardship, hospitality, justice and respect for all individuals,” Kane said.

May 1, 2008

McCarthy Center receives grant to support Washington D.C. studies

The McCarthy Center wishes to thank the Lawrence H. and Elizabeth S. Dunlap Foundation for their recent grant to support the Washington D.C. Summer Study Program.