News: Governor Hickenlooper at CCU

Governor Hickenlooper paid a visit to CCU's campus on Wednesday, addressing over 200 students, staff, faculty, trustees, and local leaders. He took time to lay a roadmap of where Colorado has been and where it is going, as well as taking questions from the audience.

Hickenlooper's visit marks the increased emphasis that the University has placed on preparing students to be politically involved and to impact culture through their efforts. Part of this involvement includes the ability to work across party lines, as Hickenlooper is known for doing.

I personally admire his ability to reach across the aisle, noted CCU President Bill Armstrong, who is also a former U.S. Senator, and it's an honor to have Governor Hickenlooper here at CCU.

The Governor stressed this need in touching on the problem of negative ads. Negative ads work, he explained. If Coke ran negative ads against Pepsi, Pepsi's sales would go down. They would run negative ads back against Coke. It would depress the whole product category. Negative ads are depressing the whole product category of democracy. They're turning people off to being involved.

Throughout he exhorted involvement, calling on students to be part of the solution. While many CCU students are already learning about and involved in the political process, enjoying annual trips to Washington, D.C., or taking advantage of proximity to the capitol to intern in senate offices, Hickenlooper's address allowed a wider group of students to be informed and inspired on political issues.

He covered issues important to the CCU community, noting how he has helped religious communities care for homeless families with his One Congregation One Family initiative, which aligns with efforts of students and staff already working with homeless and needy populations in Denver.

Ending with a question-and-answer session, he addressed concerns about the legalization of marijuana, which has affected CCU recruitment efforts. Hickenlooper spoke of his hopes that the drug will be harder to come by for teenagers and young people, due to enforcement, than it even was before the drug was legalized. For a school dealing with unforeseen outcomes of the legalization, his words provided optimism.

Optimism was the tenor for the day. The event of major political figures visiting CCU is becoming increasingly common as the University expands its political science department and grows in influence throughout the region. The honor of Governor Hickenlooper's visit indicated CCU's importance, but it also reminded students of their opportunities: to take advantage of access to the capitol and to be part of the solution for Colorado and the nation as a whole.