Students represent Carroll at Midwest Political Science Association Conference

Complicated, often confusing and, most of all, incredibly crucial – politics. It’s not always easy, but then again, Pioneers don’t set out to do what’s easy. A group of Carroll students rose to the challenge and put their research and presentation skills to the test at the 75th Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference.

Founded in 1939, the MPSA is committed to advancing the scholarly study and discourse of political science. Individuals are able to submit their proposals for discussion in a professional, academic setting, and an impressive seven student-authored works were accepted for the 2017 conference. The presenters, listed alphabetically, are a healthy mix of political science and related majors: Tikantame Amaleboba, Jaclyn Nelville, Noah Johnson, Jake Schreiner, Jeremy Spankowski, Kevin Weiss and Zach Zarb.

Kevin Weiss, a junior focusing on political science and global studies, took the opportunity to talk about his analysis regarding several oral interviews given by former Vice President Dick Cheney and the previous secretaries of defense of the Bush and Reagan administrations. “[MPSA was] initially overwhelming,” he says, but Weiss wasn’t without the skills to succeed. “The curriculum at Carroll really lent itself to platform learning – it gave me the tools to do what I needed to do at the conference.”

The students also received a nudge in the right direction from Dr. Lilly J. Goren, professor of political science and director of the Carroll Honors Program. “The Midwest Political Science Association is a great opportunity for the students to present their research, to interact with other scholars, students and academics who are experts in the field, and for the students to receive feedback on their research and to engage in the exchange of knowledge and ideas at a very high level.”

Dr. Goren has been encouraging students like Kevin Weiss to participate in the MPSA Annual Conference for over a decade, and they continually come back feeling confident and inspired. “It was one of the most valuable things I’ve ever done in my academic career,” Weiss says, and the experience has solidified his plan to go into policy work. Who knows? We might even see a Pioneer presidency.