Wednesday’s Convention Conversations

Carla Frenzel, DPS

The Denver Athletic Club hosted its third Convention Conversations panel discussion this morning sponsored by Yahoo!, Politico and the Denver Post.  Former Senator Tom Daschle, Illinois Representative Rahm Emmanuel and historian Michael Beschloss engaged in the conversation about what are the personal qualities that have distinguished the nation’s greatest presidents and does Barack Obama have the these qualities.  Tom Dashle summed up the qualities of an effective leader which makes an effective president as a person who is able to inspire others even when having to make hard decisions and when a leader is making these hard decisions they have to be able to explain why.  A leader is a person who is able to identify with the people he/she is leading and the issues the people are facing on a daily basis.  Finally, a leader is someone who is willing to sacrifice one’s own political gain for the betterment of the people he/she is serving.  The panel all agreed that Barack Obama has these qualities which will make him a great president.  What do you think? Does Barack Obama have the leadership qualities to be a great president?

Welcome to Day 3

MIchelle Pearson

Hulstrom Options School

Adams 12 School District

Today was again about unity. What an amazing beginning to the day when we attended the political conversations series hosted by Yahoo, Politico, and the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. The topic for the roundtable discussions focused on the qualities that make a good leader, and in particular the qualities that make a great president. Lead by Sen. Tom Daschle the team of speakers including Illinois Senator Rahm Emmanuel, and historian Michael Beschloss all agreed that the key qualities that a president must have to lead are ethics, integrity, the ability to inspire others, and the empathy to understand and identify with those people they serve. As I listened to them tell a long shared story about Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the difference this president made, it made me think about the special qualities I feel a president should have and wonder which candidate will display those during this election. What qualities do you want in our next leader?

Tuesday Night at the DNC: Breaking Social Barriers

Politics is about determining your beliefs and your stance on issues.  Democracy is about the people of America being given the opportunity to think and speak openly about these ideas, and having thoughtful conversations to give ourselves the chance for continued grow and improvement.  Last, America is about leading the world and showing by example.  In this case, it is about people helping to break down social barriers so that leaders are respected for their intellect.

Inside the Pepsi Center, I was absolutely blown away by the diversity of people.  I live in a neighborhood just outside of Denver that is quite diverse, but to have a gathering like this brings together exceptional thinkers and leaders within our diverse communities.  My evening began speaking with a man from Korea and a woman from China.  We talked about politics and beliefs, and as the evening progressed, I felt this interesting sense of community among all the people within the Pepsi Center.  There’s something very unique about people from all over the country coming together to talk about where our country is going and why we believe the way we do. It leads me to the question, “As a country, how have we made progress and how can we progress further in our actions and attitudes towards diversity and equal opportunity for all?”

One individual who deserves accolades for this type of thinking was the speaker who would close the evening: Hillary Clinton.  While she has been both praised and criticized for her beliefs (all politicians get this), she deserves profound recognition for our national view of women and women’s rights.  For young girls and women, Hillary Clinton has been a profound individual showing by example exactly what a person can do when you believe in yourself and the people of your country.  At the Pepsi Center, opening with a short video about her life, and then bringing daughter Chelsea to the stage for her introduction, Hillary came to the stage to an entire arena applauding her accomplishments.  For me, it was a moment that I will never forget and I can only hope that every girl in the world has a chance to see exactly why some people have such strong praise for who she is as a leader and an individual.  I sent a text to a friend immediately following her speech saying, “This was a top moment in my life!”

A Theme for the Day

One unique aspect of the convention is the way that the week is structured.  It appears that the political party looks at the most pressing issues for Americans and then they organize the week to have daily themes.  On Tuesday, I was able to attend a press conference on Energy Independence.  Knowing that the nation is dealing with concerns around oil and the development of alternative forms of energy, the Democratic party made a point of elevating these ideas on Tuesday during the morning press conference and in the evening while people spoke at the Pepsi Center.  While I have my own ideas, it leads me to the question, “What is the benefit of maintaining a focus for the entire day during a convention?  If a citizen hears a message multiple times throughout the day and night, how might that benefit a political party’s communication to its supporters?”

Speaker of the House: Nancy Pelosi

On Tuesday morning, we were invited to attend a special gathering on the rooftop of the Denver Athletic Club.  It was informally called a Breakfast Conversation, and involved Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

While Pelosi spoke about economic, war, energy, and education policies from the Democrat perspective, I have to say that I was interested in one piece of information…something I didn’t know.  When Mrs. Pelosi was speaking about the war in Iraq, she commented that her views come from reading the intelligence reports.  At that moment, she stopped and pointed out that the two most “senior” individuals for the Democrats and Republicans, in both the House and Senate, get the opportunity to read the “intelligence.”  Basically, I understood her to say that the most classified, confidential documents are read by these four individuals.  In cases where significant decisions are made, in this case the decision to go to war in Iraq, significant “intelligence” is used to make these choices.  For the longest time, I assumed that this type of of information might only be known to the President and Vice-President.

Media Panel at West High School, DPS

Carla Frenzel, Secondary Social Studies Coordinator, Denver Public Schools

This afternoon West High School in Denver Public Schools hosted a panel discussion with Morgan Phelps of US News and World Report, Michelle Martin of National Public Radio and Michael Calderon of Politico. Students from area metro schools asked questions of the panelists focusing on the connection of the media and political campaigns.

The questions the students asked were both thoughtful and insightful. I listed several of the questions posed below. Perhaps they will spark conversations with you and the people around you.

Questions posed by metro area high school students:

• Do you think people vote for the candidate or the issues?
• Why aren’t third party candidates covered as extensively as mainstream candidates?
• How do you think media coverage influenced the Obama vs. Clinton campaigns?
• Is the DNC just a big party for politicians and movie stars?
• What impact does negative campaigning have on the young generation?
• What responsibility do the media have in reporting negative components of people?
• Do news organizations take a political stance?
• Do you think one candidate appeals to the younger generation more than another?

Opening ceremony at the DNC – inside the Pepsi Center

Carla Frenzel, Secondary Social Studies Coordinator, Denvery Public Schools

The experience of being inside the Pepsi Center on the night of the opening of the Democratic National Convention was like no other experience I have had.  The energy was incredible, the excitement tangible and the patriotism incredibly clear. 

I had seen glimpses of the environment from TV and seeing it in person with the all of the energy of people being involved in the political process was an entirely differentexperience. The stage was huge with the enormous screens behind the podium which sinks into the floor when not in use, the colors in lights continually changing, the live band played energetic music the entire night, there was constant movement of people from the delegates to the press to all the other guests that were there.  All throughoutthe evening there were a whole lineup of speakers ending with Michelle Obama.

The delegates held signs for different speakers and issues. Edward Kennedy, introduced by his niece Carolyn Kennedy, was one of the featured speakers.  When he spoke the entire main floor held signs that read “Kennedy.”  At other times there were signs that read “Common values, common purpose,” and yet other ones that read “Michelle.”  There were many American flags being waved, from small hand held ones to the large cloth ones that could be seen for a long distance.

The meeting started out with Howard Dean calling the meeting to order and he proceeded to have several people give committee reports.  The delegates then voted on the acceptance of these reports.  It was clear that in the midst of all the hype, music, color and excitement that the political process was in action.  Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, then took over the proceedings as the permanent chair of the DNC. 

One conversation I had was regarding protest. Throughout the day I saw many protesters around downtown Denver.  Everyone has their own way of protesting and I thought the person I was talking with had a great statement. We were talking about the power of protesting and she simple said “Think about the way in which you protest.”  The political process allows people in this country the opportunity to have their voice heard in many ways, the questions I have are how loud does the voice have to be? does one have to use words to be heard? how do you know if you have been heard? 

As I mentioned there were many speakers throughout the night:  former President Jimmy Carter brought us back to thinking about Hurricane Katrina, Maya Soetoro-Ng (Obama’s sister) sharewith us as a teacher how important it is for her to help her students realize that they can dream big, Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. reminded us that Obama believes “we all have a stake in one another.”  Throughout the evening there were people who spoke through the title “American Voices, American Values.” 

At one point amidst all of the action and excitement, when Senator Kennedy was speaking, he caused me to stop and I wrote this reflection:  It is pretty overwhelming and such an honor to be in the presence of people who have made such an impact on the people of the United States. Senator Kennedy has just spoken the quote “To whom much is given, much is expected.” It seemed to be a common thread throughout the entire night. Listening to each others stories and figuring out where each person fits into the American story, knowing that we all do. 

Michelle Obama spoke about what her parents taught her “you treat people with dignity and respect even if you don’t know them and even if you don’t agree with them.”  She reminded us that it was in this spirit that she believes her husband acts.  She also reminded us that this week marks to significant anniversaries:  the 88th anniversary of women’s right to vote and the 45th anniversary of MLK Jrs. famous I have a Dream speech. 

The evening ended with a video conference greeting by Barack Obama from Kansas City, Missouri.

Not all DNC fun is inside Pepsi Center-DP

Dana Plewka, Educational Services Manager, Denver Newspaper Agency & YourHub.com/NextGen

 

Amazing opportunities abound in downtown Denver.  Every corner reveals another adventure.  If nothing else, you have to appreciate the fashions.  The dichotomy between the red, white and blue bedecked delegates, and the humble appearance of the homeless, drifters, protesters and the ner’ do wells.

You can feel the energy every where you go…. even in the morning hours before the thousands come out to crowd the streets and test the patients of the police.  It was very easy to take a leisurly stroll down the 16th Street Mall until around 11AM.   So come on down to downtown.  

There is something for everyone.  And, you just don’t want to wait another hundred years to see it again.

Dana

Free Wheelin’: When Parties Agree

Stuart Chandler, Jeffco Schools, Curriculum Specialist

When are political parties the same? The Republican Convention  will be held in Minneapolis immediately following the Democratic Convention in Denver. They are both four days long. They both bring in people who love to talk about how our country should progress, economically and socially…just to name a few. They try to solve new problems and dilemmas while also trying to continue with the things that work. And while there are regularly power struggles between the parties and their beliefs, there are also many times when the parties agree.

To show you where both Republicans and Democrats agree, I’ll point out two significant national concerns: the lack of healthy activity done by people and the pollution our growing number of cars spew into the air.

Working to address these concerns of health and pollution is a program called Free Wheelin’ Way to Go. The program works just like a library checkout system, except people check out bikes instead. Just like libraries exist all throughout our communities, there is a collection of several bike check-out stations throughout Denver.

Check out the Free Wheelin’ Way to Go site

A free bike sharing program being tested at both conventions

To participate, anyone 18 years or older can give their name and a credit card number to Free Wheelin’ so you can check out your first bike. Your credit card never gets charged, it’s like a security deposit. In return, you get a plastic card with a bar code. It’s just like the library, but with bikes!

From that point, you can take a bike, ride it around the city, go to various events, and then just return it to another station. Sometimes a bike is ridden to a kiosk is all the way across town, so it sure saves the convention goers from dealing with sore, tired feet. Once you turn the bike in, your checkout card is scanned again and lots of information about your use gets processed. For instance, you can find out how many miles you traveled (there’s a device on the bike that records this information), and you can also find out how many calories you burned. Last, you can find out what your carbon footprint is. (If you haven’t ever heard of a carbon footprint, look it up or ask your science teacher). Your carbon footprint is related to pollution being placed in the air. Think about it, if you’re riding a bike through the city instead of driving, there’s less pollution in the air.

This chart shows the total miles, calories, and the carbon footprint so far at the convention.

This program that involves the free use of bicycles is currently in place around the world in placs like Stockholm, Sweden and Paris, France. In Paris, there are 20,000 bikes that are shared and 1400 kiosks (or checkout stations). So, when Free Wheelin’ ends up at a national political convention, they give their idea a much better chance at being supported. They are doing their best to meet the challenges of a changing world, and it seems like an idea that anyone would support.

Check them out. If you think it’s a great idea, tell more people, give it support. That’s how YOU can be involved civically…whether you’re Republican, Democrat, or an independent. As you can see, it’s an idea that many people might support for the well-being of everyone involved!

Monday Morning DNC

Carla Frenzel, Denver Public Schools Secondary Social Studies Coordinator

Wow – the first morning of the Democratic National Convention and already so much has happened!  At this point I am most amazed at how many people are involved on so many levels and how passionate they are about making our country a better place to live. 

Early this morning I attended a breakfast where there were five featured presenters:  House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, Former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder, Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Tavis Smiley, author/media personality and Dr. Cornel West, author.  The topic of discussion was “Obama and future of race in America: Is the United States ready to elect an African American president? What should an Obama presidency do for racial divisions?”  Part of the conversation was about the ideas that there has been a fundamental paradigm shift in our country regarding race.  Rep. Jackson stated that Obama is the catalyst for the shift and is the beneficiary of people who have gone before him.  Names that were given were Carol Mosley Brown, Gov. Douglas, Shirley Chisolm and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Perhaps some of you would like to research more about these significant Americans and how they have influenced our country.  As I was leaving the event Dr. Cornel made an insightful statement. He said that he would like to shift our thinking from the idea of  being ”post racial” to “pro-humanity.”  Perhaps this statement would be a topic of conversation for you and others. 

Next I was off to the morning press briefing there were media from around the world waiting to receive the line up of speakers for the opening session of the DNC at the Pepsi Center.  Alice Travis Germond, the secretary for the Democratic National Convention Committee, Josh Earnest, the Deputy Commincations Director for the Obama campaign and Jenny (sorry did not get her last name), were giving the schedule of events, focus on the opening night of the DNC and then they fielded questions.  The theme of tonight is “One Nation.”  Josh summarized that the theme will be addressed in part of by former Republican Representative Jim Leach from Iowa and through the conversation of Barack Obama’s roots with the influence of his grandfather and his mother.  They finished with Barack Obama’s statement “this will be America’s Convention.”

The Colorado Convention Center is abuzz with the excitement of the convention.  As I walked towards the caucuses that were happening it was incredible to see and hear people engaged in conversation about issues and the political process. I stopped in at the Hispanic Caucus where Senator Ken Salazar was speaking. I could feel the energy in the room. He was talking to a huge crowd and discussing how Obama “climbed one step at a time” to get to where is today.   Senator Salazar was discussing the topics that are on the forefront our national stage including healthcare for all, education, energy independence, the war in Iraq.  Senator Salazar ended to a thunderous applause of the audience as he welcomed Bob Menendez from New Jersey.  He too, addressed the same issues as well as stressed the importance of the Democratic Party unifying.  As I was listening to the speakers I reflected on the experience and asked myself a couple questions that I would challenge you to think about as well:  how do we continue to encourage all people to become involved in the political process?  How do we channel the energy at the convention in to making real change in the United States? It seemed with the energy I felt at the CCC that there is nothing we can not accomplish if we can find the unity to do it together. 

Representative Menendez then introduced Hillary Clinton to a thunderous applause.  As she stepped up to the microphone the excitement in the room was palpable and the vibe incredibly exciting.  She too, spoke about the importance of unity in the Democratic party.  The excitement level in the crowd was raised to a new level when she was speaking. 

Through the entire morning, I was continually struck by the thought that regardless on ones political stance, that if people come together with the passion that I witnessed there is nothing that cannot be accomplished in our country.