Jim Amidon — Jim Shella, a political reporter with WISH TV in Indianapolis for the last 25 years, sets out from the Circle City once each week to take the political pulse of Indiana citizens.
Wednesday, Shella came to Crawfordsville and sat down with five Wabash students to talk about the presidential election. Shella broadcast live from campus in the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. evening newscasts Wednesday night.
Shella had a roundtable discussion with Sean Clerget, Jay Horrey, Brent Kent, Gary James, and Patrick McAlister. All five shared their views of the candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, and talked about the issues that most interest them.
Clerget is a senior and editor of The Phoenix, a journal of conservative news and opinion, and had a summer internship with Indiana Senator Richard Lugar. Horrey, also a senior, is past-president of the College Democrats. Kent, a junior, is the Opinion Editor of The Bachelor and spent his summer on Capitol Hill. James, a junior, is the local organizer for the Barack Obama campaign. And McAlister, a junior and editor of The Bachelor, spent his summer working in Evan Bayh’s Washington office. McAlister also worked as a runner for NBC News during the Republican National Convention.
Shella led a casual conversation about why the students support the candidates they do, the types of issues they feel are important, and why this particular election seems to matter so much, particularly to college-aged students.
Shella asked Clerget and Kent, both McCain supporters, if they felt outnumbered on campus this fall. Both responded affirmatively, to which Horrey quipped, “Now you know how I felt in my first three years here!”
The students talked about working together in non-partisan ways to motivate students to register to vote, to watch and discuss the debates, and elevate the conversation.
“We’re more about having a conversation — a discussion — than demonizing the other candidates,” said Kent. The College Democrats and College Republicans will host a debate-watching party, and both groups hope to facilitate good conversations afterward.
McAlister noted that there seems to be much more energy and enthusiasm among students this election season. “It’s really about the process,” he said. “Hopefully it’s not just this year, but the start of something that will continue to grow.”
Shella is an accomplished veteran political reporter who shared his experiences traveling with Indiana’s Republican and Democrat delegations to their respective conventions.
After a somewhat lengthy conversation on the financial woes of the country, Shella complimented the students, saying, “You guys are really well informed.”
