Sorensen in the News

She Should Run, a nonpartisan organization dedicated encouraging women’s public leadership, is promoting the Sorensen Institute's Candidate Training Program (CTP) as part of its "50 State Strategy."

The CTP is an intensive, four-day program focused on the fundamentals of a winning campaign. Participants explore the nuts and bolts of building a strong campaign from the ground up—all within the context of ethics and public service.

Applications for the January 2012 CTP are open now through Nov. 14. Apply today, or recommend a promising candidate to Bob Gibson at bob.gibson@virginia.edu.

College Leaders Program Class of 2011
Day 19-Thursday, June 16
Reported by: Peter Murray, Hamilton College

The day began with an intensive class by Professor Bragaw on policy advocacy and entrepreneurship. As a part of our overall focus on the politics of public policy, we were challenged to answer difficult questions. How does public policy successfully work its way through our political system? How do we define problem and solution in a political atmosphere dominated by groups advocating for their own interests? What are all of the factors that contribute to the general political mood? While we wrestled with these questions and more, Professor Bragaw introduced us to Kingdon’s fascinating policy streams theory. This theory argues that policies, in order to be successfully passed into legislation, require political consensus on the definition of a problem and its legislative solution. The timing of consensus can be brought on by crises, like 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, or by other, less dramatic cultural or historical trends. We brought our studies to the local level by breaking down into groups of five and considering a case study about Kokomo, Indiana in the midst of the potential bankruptcy of the Big Three auto companies. We discussed the mayor’s effort to “green” the city by promoting use of biodiesel and incentivizing other renewable energy industries in Kokomo. Our conversation focused on the potential job growth spurred by the town’s green policies.

After the discussion, we took a well-deserved break for lunch, a feast from everyone’s favorite caterer, Chick-fil-A. Luckily, there was a frisbee in my bag, which I had been throwing on the famous U.Va. Lawn the other day. After everyone ate, we headed outside and tossed the disc around. Even though some of us didn’t have much experience with the frisbee, our entire class joined in for a fun game outside the tall walls of the physics building.

When we returned to the classroom, we were pleasantly surprised that our speaker was the one and only Joe Stanley. Joe dropped some knowledge on us about the job market in politics right now. In addition, he talked to us about the value of Sorensen’s alumni network. By the end of Joe's talk, the class had newfound respect and gratitude for our capable and accomplished program director.

We finished the day with Professor Bragaw, debating a vehicle-miles traveled tax, which is coincidentally my group’s transportation project topic. While much of the class disapproved of replacing the gas tax with a VMT, my group vigorously defended our policy in what seemed like a contentious dry run of our final presentation next week. Just another insightful day at the College Leaders Program, which seems to be flying by! 

HB 1435, drafted in part by HSLP alumna Hollis Erickson (2009), has passed the House and Senate with overwhelming majorities. If signed by Gov. McDonnell, the legislation will require Virginia public high schools and state colleges and universities to count American Sign Language (ASL) courses toward their foreign-language requirements. Virginia would be the 36th state to adopt this policy.

Del. Dickie Bell (R-Staunton) sponsored the bill after receiving a letter from Erickson's ASL class at Loudoun Valley High School. After helping draft the bill, Erickson and her fellow students came to Richmond during session to testify in its favor.

"Thank you for preparing me for the legislative process through the Sorensen Institute!" Erickson said.

Visit the Richmond Times-Dispatch for more on this story.

Last week's unanimous vote in favor of SB 906 was thanks in part to the lobbying efforts of two College Leaders Program alumni, Hassan Abdelhalim and Emily Bowles. The bill requires the Standards of Learning objectives relating to both teen dating violence and the characteristics of abusive relationships to be taught at least once during middle school and at least twice during high school.

"Working on the bill has been an absolutely amazing experience," says Bowles. "I've been really impressed by how willing everyone has been to provide us with help and guidance along the journey, including just about every Senator, Delegate, intern and legislative assistant we've come in contact with."

The bill began life as a small group project during the 2010 College Leaders Program. Sen. Deeds introduced the bill after serving on a panel that judged students' presentations. Abdelhalim and Bowles credit the CLP with giving them the tools necessary to lobby for the bill. "Lobbying for this bill was much easier and more fun after Sorensen," said Abdelhalim. "I feel 100% confident debating this issue with everyone from LAs to the Board of Education to the Governor himself."

"Constant interaction with government leaders gave me the confidence necessary to pursue the bill and invaluable knowledge of the system itself," Bowles said. "In addition, the support we've received from our Sorensen classmates has been absolutely phenomenal."

The duo's lobbying efforts were recently featured on NBC29 News.

Last night, for the first time, Sorensen alumni were elected to serve in the United States House of Representatives. The Sorensen Institute would like to congratulate both Scott Rigell (VA-02) and Robert Hurt (VA-05) on their successful campaigns. For more information, you can visit Congressman-elect Rigell's website and Congressman-elect Hurt's website.

In addition to this historic election, five other Sorensen Alumni won their local campaigns yesterday. The Sorensen Institute sends its congratulations to:

Linda Richardson, Greensville County Treasurer
James Byrd, Harrisonburg City Council
Angelia Williams, Norfolk City Council
James Wood, Virginia Beach City Council
Art Major, Winchester City Council

These candidates join more than one hundred of their fellow Sorensen Alumni who serve in elected office across the Commonwealth. They are a testament to the Sorensen idea that politics can be about the heated clash of ideas, but that our differences do not have to divide us.

The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership hosted our second 5th District Congressional Candidate Forum at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, Virginia last night. The forum, sponsored by the Sorensen Institute and The Danville Register & Bee was between Democratic Congressman Tom Periello and his Republican challenger, State Senator Robert Hurt.

The event, which attracted 550 audience members, was also broadcast live by ABC13 Roanoke and NBC29 Charlottesville.

For news coverage of the event, go here and here. For video coverage go here.

On Monday, October 4th, from 3pm-4pm, the Sorensen Institute will be featured and profiled on WMRA’s Virginia Insight program. Sorensen’s Executive Director, Bob Gibson, will be joined by the Director of the Center for Public Service and Scholarship at Shenandoah University, Karen Schultz. Together they will discuss the methods for teaching and encouraging public service. Virginia Insight is WMRA’s own call-in talk show, airing Mondays and Thursdays at 3pm, before All Things Considered. An encore broadcast from the week is featured Sunday afternoon at 3pm, following A Prairie Home Companion. Virginia Insight’s producer and host, Tom Graham, served as a radio news director in North Carolina, Tennessee and California. Tom has also worked in television as a reporter and news anchor.

The show’s call-in number is 888-967-2825 and listeners are welcome and encouraged to call in. The show will be streamed live at http://wmra.org. Below, you will find the radio dial numbers for WMRA.

103.5 FM Charlottesville
91.3 FM Farmville
90.7 FM Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley
89.9 FM Lexington
94.5 FM Winchester

The 2008 public television documentary "Across the Aisle" will be broadcast on Thursday, Sept. 16th at 9:00pm on WCVE and WHTJ public television stations in Richmond and Charlottesville and again on Tuesday, Sept. 21st at 9:00pm on WCVE Richmond. The documentary follows the Sorensen Institute's Political Leaders Program Class of 2007 during its 10-month program across Virginia. The broadcast comes as the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership is recruiting applicants for the 2011 Political Leaders Program Class as well as the 2011 Candidate Training Program. Applications for both programs are being accepted at the Sorensen Institute's website until 5:00pm on Nov. 8th. For more information, visit www.sorenseninstitute.org.

The documentary was produced courtesy of a $100,000 gift from Albemarle County resident Fred Scott. Asked about the upcoming broadcast, Scott  said, "Combine the best of Public Television leadership and producer/directorship skills with great academic leadership and a documentary is born. John Casteen, former President of UVA, took only a few minutes to understand and approve our Charlottesville PBS station manager's idea to produce "Across The Aisle," the story of a year-long Sorensen class. Editorial restrictions? None. We have been impressed by producer Paul Roberts' work and we trust our University's reputation to him." Scott added, "For me, watching a gem of an idea...one that began in a quiet conversation on my front porch...develop into a full blown documentary that 'gets it right' about Sorensen, has been a joyous journey." 

The Sorensen Institute has been actively trying to establish new ways for our alumni, staff and potential program participants to stay in contact with one another. One of the easiest ways to stay updated on the exciting things going on here at the Sorensen Institute is to follow our Twitter account. You can find our account at SIPLUVA. Follow us, recommend us, and stay up to date on the exciting events that Sorensen will be hosting in the near future.