Aurora Student Becomes Part of the GOP Convention Spotlight
- This article was submitted by Aurora resident Al Benson.
Erica Brown, Aurora University senior criminal justice major from Pontiac, became part of Tuesday’s media coverage at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Brown, 21, is attending the RNC as a student and worker. She was interviewed by CBS Chicago news anchor Rob Johnson, who was covering the RNC, who taped the interview with Brown for the station’s 5 p.m. newscast.
An aspiring police officer, Brown was chosen to attend the RNC through The Washington Center. The Washington, D.C.-based independent, nonprofit offers students opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit through its National Political Convention Academic Seminar.
According to Brown, college students attending the convention are required to attend daily classes, interview six people, complete daily journals, write two essays and share their experiences will fellow students on campus later.
Christine Williams, 19, of Chicago, an Aurora University sophomore business administration and political science major, has been chosen to attend the Democratic National Convention next week at Philadelphia.
Alicia Cosky, Aurora University dean of faculty development, said the young women were Aurora’s first to attend the Washington Center program.
The women were chosen by a faculty committee from a pool of 40 applicants.
- Feature Photo Caption: Erica Brown, left, Aurora University senior criminal justice major from Pontiac, was interviewed by Ch. 2 TV Chicago at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland Tuesday. Right is Rob Johnson, CBS Channel 2 anchor covering the RNC. Johnson taped an interview with Brown, a student and RNC worker, for CBS Chicago’s 5 p.m. newscast. (Al Benson photo)
About the TWC
Students from across the country are taking advantage of an opportunity that only comes around once every four years and for some, only once in a lifetime. As part of a two-week seminar program, students will travel to Philadelphia, PA and Cleveland, OH to participate in The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars’ Democratic and Republican National Convention Seminars.
Through academic partnerships with Temple University and Baldwin Wallace University, participants will attend guest lectures led by prominent political leaders and scholars and then volunteer on-site on the convention grounds.
“The conventions give students an insider’s perspective on the political process and a front row seat to history,” said TWC President Mike Smith. “This seminar is an immersion into the campaign world, giving students numerous opportunities to study the nomination process from start to finish. I can’t think of a more meaningful way to take part in political discourse.”
More than 350 students from 50+ colleges and universities are expected to attend the two week seminars. Prominent speakers will lead discussion on the history of political campaigns, convention procedures and the role of the media. The second half of the program will be spent at the convention, participating in field work assignments and attending convention receptions and rallies.
The Washington Center’s Republican National Convention seminar will be held from July 10 – 22, 2016 and the Democratic National Convention seminar will be held from July 17 – 29, 2016.
Since 1984, more than 3,000 students from 300 academic institutions have attended the two-week academic seminars at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. To date, this remains the only national academic program of its kind and size.
