|
 A group of Oglethorpe University students recently participated in a series of activities sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement. All in one week, students were able to hear President Jimmy Carter speak, meet Josh and Sarah Carter ’06 and have a special tour of The Carter Center.
The Center for Civic Engagement hosted Josh Carter, President Jimmy Carter’s grandson, and his wife Sarah Carter ’06, an Oglethorpe admission counselor, to have an intimate discussion with the students of Oglethorpe University. Josh spoke to the students about what President Carter is like as a person as well as the humanitarian efforts of The Carter Center. Josh and Sarah confirmed that President Carter remains committed to making a difference in the world.
Civic Engagement Ambassador Ember Melcher ’09 recalled her experience. “I liked it when Josh told us about how he helped his grandfather build the wood piece which was auctioned as a fundraiser for The Carter Center. It’s very Carter-esque to spend time with his family while raising money to wage peace.”
Later that week, students visited Georgia State University to hear President Carter’s lecture on his new book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. The lecture consisted of a summarization of his new book and suggestions for the current Middle East conflicts followed by a Q&A with the audience.
The lecture was “an amazing experience,” said Civic Engagement Ambassador Chong Park ’10. “Seeing President Carter up close and hearing him speak about the current issues in the Middle East has to have been one of my favorite experiences this semester. I was very glad that I attended the discussion with Josh and Sarah Carter because it allowed me to better understand President Carter’s stance presented in his lecture at Georgia State.”
After visiting GSU, a group of 15 Oglethorpe students had the opportunity to tour The Carter Center. The students were able to see the displays of President Carter’s presidential library, Nobel Peace Prize, early life mementos, documents from his presidential term and descriptions of his major foreign affairs outcomes. After the tour they had lunch at Manuel’s Tavern, the place where President Jimmy Carter launched his presidential campaign only a few blocks from The Carter Center and a well-known gathering place for Democrats, business, civic and community leaders.
Civic Engagement Ambassador Lawrence Jones ’10 described The Carter Center tour as “inspiring. I was awed by the accomplishments of President Jimmy Carter because of his humble beginnings yet being able to impact the world tremendously through his empowering political leadership. I think every student should have this kind of experience at The Carter Center.”
After a series of co-curricular trips, the students comment that they are able to relate their off-campus experiences to the classroom environment as well as the overall college experience. “It was fun. I can apply all this knowledge to my politics class. I’m definitely looking forward to more trips,” said Chong Park.
|
