Spring Break
Students create 'innovative' policy platforms for election
HAYLEY PETERSON
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: News
A conservative immigration platform called for increased border security, with a plan to finish the proposed 700 miles of fencing at the border. This group advocated peaceable enforcement of the laws through an employer identification program with sanctions for those who do not abide by the rules, and incentives for those who do.
A conservative platform also won the vote for health care. This group said the U.S. ranks 39th in the world for adequate health care. To improve this ranking, they proposed an individual-based health care system, so individuals could benefit from the pre-tax incentive currently enjoyed by employers.
In making insurance companies more directly accountable to customers, they said the increased competition would yield improved service.
Alex Johnson, a junior from Royston, was in the liberal Iraq War group.
"The whole process of jogging ideas was so exciting," he said. "I often feel deprived of intellectual conversation. It's so enlightening to know there are other students out there who also enjoy this dialogue."
Many students were so engaged they resisted conference administrators trying to force them out of the Student Learning Center around midnight.
"Many people were upset that there was little downtime in the schedule," Tyler Pratt, executive board member of the Roosevelt Institution and senior from Martinez, said. "But we were trying to close down, and they would not leave because they wanted to keep working. We practically had to force them out."
Following each presentation, the three panelists reiterated how impressed they were with the students' high-quality work and in-depth policy considerations. Although it appears the conservative platforms prevailed, many groups did not limit their policies to embody just one ideology, Pratt said.
"Surprisingly, they did not regurgitate the information we gave them for their political platforms," Pratt said. "They are coming up with some very innovative things."
Kristen Tullos, a junior and co-chair on the Roosevelt Institution's board, said the students' quality dialogue was a strong indication of the Institution's legitimacy.
"Essentially you guys had eight hours to hammer out this quality of work. All of us felt we could really identify with each topic. This is a real testament to what this organization is about," she said.
Johnson said, "Up until now, everything I have done for the Roosevelt Institution has been on an individual basis.
This is what I thought the Institution was supposed to be like, when I joined last year.
It was a phenomenal symposium, in the Greek sense of the word - where you talk through things until you come up with a working solution. It is stuff like this that sets UGA apart from other giant state organizations."
A conservative platform also won the vote for health care. This group said the U.S. ranks 39th in the world for adequate health care. To improve this ranking, they proposed an individual-based health care system, so individuals could benefit from the pre-tax incentive currently enjoyed by employers.
In making insurance companies more directly accountable to customers, they said the increased competition would yield improved service.
Alex Johnson, a junior from Royston, was in the liberal Iraq War group.
"The whole process of jogging ideas was so exciting," he said. "I often feel deprived of intellectual conversation. It's so enlightening to know there are other students out there who also enjoy this dialogue."
Many students were so engaged they resisted conference administrators trying to force them out of the Student Learning Center around midnight.
"Many people were upset that there was little downtime in the schedule," Tyler Pratt, executive board member of the Roosevelt Institution and senior from Martinez, said. "But we were trying to close down, and they would not leave because they wanted to keep working. We practically had to force them out."
Following each presentation, the three panelists reiterated how impressed they were with the students' high-quality work and in-depth policy considerations. Although it appears the conservative platforms prevailed, many groups did not limit their policies to embody just one ideology, Pratt said.
"Surprisingly, they did not regurgitate the information we gave them for their political platforms," Pratt said. "They are coming up with some very innovative things."
Kristen Tullos, a junior and co-chair on the Roosevelt Institution's board, said the students' quality dialogue was a strong indication of the Institution's legitimacy.
"Essentially you guys had eight hours to hammer out this quality of work. All of us felt we could really identify with each topic. This is a real testament to what this organization is about," she said.
Johnson said, "Up until now, everything I have done for the Roosevelt Institution has been on an individual basis.
This is what I thought the Institution was supposed to be like, when I joined last year.
It was a phenomenal symposium, in the Greek sense of the word - where you talk through things until you come up with a working solution. It is stuff like this that sets UGA apart from other giant state organizations."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Nate Loewentheil
posted 4/16/08 @ 1:59 PM EST
Amazing conference, from what I heard. Nice job, guys.
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