This weekend, the College Democrats are bringing some politicians to FAU. Barack Obama might throw us a barbecue, and Janet Reno should be speaking about something. You’ll need to find a ticket and figure out which room they’re in, but there should be free brownies – well, maybe.
The Democratic Party kind of blew off FAU in January. None of its presidential candidates would attend the debate that university officials spent months planning to host. Meanwhile, the Republican debate went ahead as scheduled.
Now, in the middle of summer, some Democratic Party leaders are coming to campus. It might surprise you why: A few students asked them to.
This Saturday, former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno will headline the student-organized South Florida Democratic Party Summit – basically, a fancy public meeting with $2,100 worth of free food where Democrats will discuss issues like education and the housing crisis.
That’s what we know for sure. The event’s Web site hadn’t been updated in two weeks, until Saturday night – and the only new information it gave then was directions to FAU. With less than one week before the event, this is the situation as of press time on Sunday, July 6.
? The FAU Web site doesn’t mention the event anywhere obvious. It’s not on the front page or events calendar. The event isn’t even referenced on the Student Government page, although key organizer Kevin Cho Tipton is also Student Body President Abe Cohen’s chief of staff. In fact, the SG site was just updated Saturday night, too – after sitting untouched for five months – to say “under construction.” A few hours later, the site was back up but no new information was added. ? While the opening and closing ceremonies are broken down into minutes per speaker, it’s not even clear exactly which rooms they’ll be in. The agenda from Tipton indicates that some parts of the event have alternate rooms, and because he waited too long to book other rooms, they ended up being reserved for a chess tournament. As a result, the available rooms for the event are somewhat scattered across the Student Union.
? SG adviser Rivka Felsher, a scheduled panelist for part of the event, says, “I don’t know what I’m going to talk about. I guess I’ll just wait until they ask questions.” She’ll be speaking at the “Situation in the Middle East” town hall session. Felsher just returned from a trip to Israel at the end of June.
? The last post on the official event site links to an “updated speaker list and agenda” that was posted on May 5. Another post over two weeks old says tickets will be required and that “[ticket] locations will be announced shortly.” Apparently, you need a ticket for the free event because administrators and police say so.
? According to a receipt from Chartwells, FAU’s catering service, there will be enough cookies and soda for 600 people at the event. But, the event site says they’re expecting between “200 and 900” to show, while Tipton himself says “500 to 800” and the Facebook group shows fewer than 100 confirmed guests.
? The Obama campaign may provide a barbecue at the event, according to the official site. Either way, Chartwells should be selling $4 hamburgers, according to the receipt.
? According to the only event information not posted by Tipton himself, someone surprising “from the Obama campaign will be there,” too. This tidbit, quoted verbatim, appeared on a South Florida community blog for the Obama campaign Web site, run by FAU student Christian Holes.
? On that community blog, Boca Raton resident Marilyn Cohn left a comment asking how to get four tickets. The non-student says nobody ever got back to her.
? The roll call sidebar on the official site lists many of the presumed guests, then says, “More to be announced soon…” followed by five more names, all of which are already on the upper portion of the list.
? The address for the official site is only available on a Facebook group for the event and on flyers distributed by organizers. It’s www.sflsummit2008.com.
Tipton admits he didn’t think everything through. “I think I planned this event backwards – I lined up all the speakers and then realized I needed to talk to FAU.”However, he’s confident the event will be a success. “This is the one time we think we can get [party leaders and voters] together to show strength and unity for an organization that’s shown little of that for the past decade,” says Tipton.
His motivation was party unity – he says there’s a gap between college voters, voters under 40, and the Democratic Party in general. FAU is a good location, he thinks.
“It’s a perfect venue … students in the middle of a resort-age community.” He thinks the attendees – some are running for office – will want to take advantage of the college-age vote in this year’s election.”With the excitement that Ron Paul, Obama and Clinton brought to campaigns, it’s a fair bet to say you’re going to see a lot more college voters,” Tipton says.
However, he’s made clear through memos and on the agenda that no campaigning will be allowed. Though he thinks many local candidates will come for the free publicity, he doesn’t want the event to be “perverted into some kind of campaign stunt.”
“This event has really been his life,” says junior Sapna Talati, president of FAU College Democrats and one of five students on the summit planning committee with Tipton. “[Tipton] has coordinated and planned everything. He just tells us what to do and we’re happy to help and support him.”
The university acknowledges their effort, too. “The FAU College Democrats have worked hard to create a memorable event for the student body and community,” says Kristine McGrath, spokeswoman for FAU. “This has been a real grassroots effort on their part to get students and the general community involved in the political process.”
Tipton says he couldn’t have done it alone.”I want to thank all the departments and administrators that are helping. I couldn’t have done it without them. I know everyone says that, but it’s literally true.”
Democratic Party Summit at FAU: What We Know For Sure
Michele BoyetEditor in Chief
As of press time (Sunday, July 6) – less than a week before the event – here are the details we know for sure:
This is the first-ever South Florida Democratic Summit meeting. Events will be held on the Boca Raton campus and speakers are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 12.
? Opening ceremony: Scheduled to take place in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium, and according to a memo from lead organizer Kevin Cho Tipton, it will be an hour long. Following the ceremony will be five town hall meetings in rooms scattered throughout the Student Union.
? Confirmed speakers: Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, State Senator Ted Deutch and nine Florida state representatives.
? Tickets: According to the event’s Facebook page, “anyone and everyone is welcome” to attend, but you need a ticket. Tickets are free and you can pick one up at the FAU Box Office inside the Boca campus Student Union. The event’s Web site says tickets will also be “distributed at various Democratic Club meetings in Broward and Palm Beach Counties” but no locations have been posted.
? Attendance: The event’s Web site lists that you can get free tickets at the door if space is available. Yet, nobody knows for sure how many people are expected. Events in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium can hold 2,400 people but the smaller town hall meetings in the Student Union only hold 40 to 100 people depending on the room. One event blog states the cap for tickets is 1,000, yet the food budgeted is for 600 people. There are currently 94 confirmed guests on the Facebook event.
? Food: The event has budgeted $2,100 for cookies, brownies, soda, water and juice for 600 people. Chartwells, FAU’s catering service, also agreed to have hamburgers and sandwiches available for patrons at a discounted rate of $4.
? Guest speaker: Also on the Facebook event listing, the event will feature “a surprise special guest appearance by a renowned leader.” According to a post made by FAU student Christian Holes on an Obama campaign community blog, this “special guest” will be a “major figure from the Obama campaign” but will not be revealed until “72 hours before the event.”
? Campaigning policy: According to a memo from Tipton, no candidates will be allowed to “discuss, mention, or announce their candidacy in any point of the event except for during the intermission or outside of the town hall sessions,” and, “No campaigning will be allowed during and inside a room where a session is in progress.”
