Inauguration prep: Advice and suggestions for Biden from Hamline students
The president-elect should start by expressing gratitude to the American people for voting in record numbers in November. A call for unity is a must.
Jim Scheibel
As colleges gear up for fall, questions abound — and opportunities for learning are abundant
This coming school year, although we are living through troubled times, is ripe for civic learning and practicing our democracy.
Morehouse pledge was amazing, but we need policies to reduce all students’ debt
A responsibility to give back to the community should come with relief for college debt. A cornerstone for addressing debt relief can be our current service programs — Peace Corps, military and AmeriCorps.
AmeriCorps VISTA’s grassroots structure threatened by Trump plan
If the Trump administrations plans go forward, Minnesota AmeriCorps VISTA programs would be approved and monitored out of a regional office in Kansas City, closing offices that ensure local participation.
What lessons of ’68 are relevant today?
Among them: Issues motivate participation, and candidates can make a difference.
Nuclear arms: We must reverse the direction of the Doomsday Clock
Last week the Pentagon released a new nuclear arms policy, effectively ending the Obama-era efforts to reduce the size and scope of the U.S. arsenal.
Older adults can help us create better communities
To help with the transition to encore careers, three institutions are offering Encore programs in the Twin Cities: United Theological Seminary, the University of Minnesota and Hamline University.
Trump’s 2018 budget declares war on the poor
Trump’s budget is the most radical any modern president has ever proposed. We should say “no” to it, and we should also support successful local initiatives.
U.S. should stoke the fire of national service, not extinguish it
The tradition of citizens serving must continue. Service is at the core of the American spirit.
What would you like to hear on Inauguration Day?
As you compose what you would like to hear, I share with you excerpts from my Hamline students’ addresses.
How we can make Minnesota’s caucuses work better
Like the Olympics, presidential caucuses happen every four years, so we should have enough preparatory time to get it right.
Deserving attention: the 1 percent we don’t talk about, but should
The number of American families living on $2 per person per day has skyrocketed to 1½ million American households, including 3 million children.
Instead of cutting community-service funding, Congress should create more opportunities to serve
This week congressional budget committees are considering a dramatic reduction (about one-third) to the organization that operates AmeriCorps, the Senior Corps, and other initiatives.
War on Poverty’s 50th anniversary should be a time of renewal and recommitment
There needs to be a sense of urgency in addressing poverty. We should build upon programs and organizations that have been effective.
A blueprint to end poverty
This semester a class of graduate students at Hamline University worked on a blueprint to end poverty. Their framework might be useful to the task force.