Two weeks ago, Chelsea Clinton came to Penn; when she walked out of the front doors of Houston Hall, hundreds of students and dozens of journalists stood to see her kick off her mom's Pennsylvania campaign.
There was tangible energy in the air.
Chelsea's event was not a campaign rally but the beginning of a conversation. She spent an hour and a half addressing Penn students' personal, political and policy concerns on topics from LGBT rights to the proposed U.S. trade agreement with Colombia. By the time Chelsea finished, the sun had set and reporters remarked that their fingers were too frozen to take notes.
Later that night, the Penn Democrats held a general body meeting to endorse a candidate in the Democratic presidential primary.
The eight-person Penn Democrats executive board had reversed course after initially deciding to remain neutral throughout campaign season. In the end, Senator Barack Obama won their endorsement.
As soon as we heard about the board's decision to endorse a candidate in the primary, we contacted them to express our disappointment.
We believed, and still believe, that once the candidates personally address Pennsylvania voters, including Penn students, an endorsement would be more appropriate.
The national Democratic Party does not endorse candidates.
We hoped that the Penn Dems would follow suit and would encourage debate on campus. It is our belief that a robust debate between serious candidates on substantive issues is productive.
Despite the endorsement, we will continue to speak out about why we believe Senator Clinton will be the best president for this country.
We are proud to support Hillary Clinton for president because she has the experience and the know-how to bring change to Washington, D.C. on day one. She will end the war in Iraq and work to make college more affordable. She is the only candidate to propose a truly universal health plan. Many of Senator Clinton's proposals - like her "Strategic Energy Fund" - invest in scientific research that could give Penn researchers billions more dollars in grants.
As Penn students, we believe that Hillary represents our values and our interests. Penn's ideals encourage us to dream big but also figure out the most pragmatic way to achieve our ambitions. This combination of inspiration, idealism, hard work and practicality mark the very core of Senator Clinton's candidacy. Senator Clinton is the only candidate in either party who shows how she will pay for every single one of her programs.
Also, it is no secret that Penn has been a trendsetter in choosing women presidents.
We look forward to working to help make sure Hillary's voice is heard on campus so that Pennsylvania residents and Penn students will be able to learn where Senator Clinton stands and how her policies, experience and leadership will affect us all.
Hillary's supporters at Penn are in good company in Pennsylvania. Governor Ed Rendell, a Penn alum and professor, endorsed Hillary citing her plans for health care, education and economic reform as critical for Pennsylvanians.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, another Penn alum, has also been a strong advocate for Senator Clinton, releasing the following statement to the Penn Dems two weeks ago: "I support Hillary because I know that under her leadership, no American - and especially no Philadelphian - will be invisible. She has devoted 35 years of service to providing health care for all, making sure that veterans are cared for, protecting our country, improving education and making college affordable, promoting civil rights and so many other causes. Even more importantly, she has 35 years of results to show for her service."
As Chelsea walked toward the hundreds of students waiting to hear her speak, there was an undeniable buzz of anticipation. We knew it was our turn as Penn students to begin personal conversations with two historic Presidential candidates. In the upcoming weeks, we look forward to continuing conversations on campus and explaining why Hillary so strongly inspires us.
College senior David Helfenbein and College juniors Annie Friedman and Julie Siegel are the co-chairs of Penn for Hillary and can be reached at Penn4hillary@gmail.com. Siegel is also former associate editorial page editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
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