The death of Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife Shiela has been deeply felt on Macalester's campus, as members of the community mourn the loss of a Senator, a friend, a mentor and for many, a hero.

Wellstone, his wife, daughter and three campaign aides were on their way to a funeral in Duluth when their plane crashed two miles from the airport, killing everyone on board. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, some authorities speculate that ice buildup on the wings may have been the main factor. However, the exact cause of the crash remains unknown.

Wellstone, who was up for re-election in November, drew many of his interns and volunteers from college campuses, including Macaleseter. Danny Schwartzman '04, who interned last semester as the Campus Organizer for Wellstone's campaign, said that the Senator valued the amount of work that students put into his campaign.

Many faculty members also had a close relationship with the Senator, including Director of College Relations Doug Stone, who worked as Wellstone's Press Secretary for two years and described Wellstone as "my political conscience and my friend."

A memorial service was held at noon on Tuesday in the Weyerhaeuser Chapel, where Stone, Schwartzman and others close to the deceased shared their reflections. President Mike McPherson praised the Senator's "tremendous ability to listen. We will miss his spirit, his dedication and his judgment for a time to come."

Schwartzman spoke about the experience of hearing Wellstone speak. "It always seemed like he was talking to you," he said. "I always left thinking I should do more, I think he had that effect on everyone. That's why he was so successful."

Visiting Instructor Rabbi Bernie Raskas remembered his work with Wellstone in reaching the Jewish community when he first entered the Senate.

"We will remember Paul and Shiela whenever we help people in need," he said. "We will remember them not in what we say but in what we do."

History Professor Peter Rachleff also worked closely with Wellstone over the years, as colleagues both in academia and in labor organizing. He spoke of the need to continue his work.

"Paul Wellstone was indeed a professor," he said. "He leaves many students behind and they—we—can carry on his and Shiela's legacy. We cannot replace him but we can step forward to shoulder our share of the responsibility to prevent war, promote peace and create economic and racial justice."

Later Tuesday evening, a public memorial was held at Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota. The three-and-a-half hour event was attended by over 20,000 people, including Reverend Jesse Jackson, former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and many other members of the Senate.

What began as a memorial though soon turned into what many people call a "political rally." The crying and heavy hearts of many in the arena soon gave way to cheering and stomping as Rick Kahn, a former student and close friend of Wellstone, quickly turned to the political rhetoric that had been missing since the accident by saying "I'm begging you to help us win this Senate election for Paul Wellstone."

Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura and his wife left soon after Kahn's speech began. Ventura was so enraged by the apparent politics of the memorial that he threatened to nominate a "regular citizen" with no connections to politics to fill Wellstone's place.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny said he was not surprised that the memorial turned partisan with the feisty crowd and fiery speeches. "That is Senator Wellstone," said Penny.

Former Saint Paul mayor George Latimer reaffirmed Penny's comment saying that, "Paul Wellstone would not have it any other way."

"The pitch was for people to get involved," said Schwartman. "It was this message that has been misrepresented as partisan." The political feel of the rally was in memory of Wellstone. His life was politics. "The way things turned out was respectful to Wellstone," said Schwartzman. He did add though that he thought Kahn's speech went too far.

Despite Ventura's threats, former Vice-President and Macalester graduate Walter Mondale '50 accepted the Democratic nomination for office Wednesday night after the DFL Central Committee meeting. Mondale's campaign tour started Thursday afternoon at a student rally in Kagin, which we are unable to report on at this time due to deadline.

Despite the controversy surrounding the current Senate races, there is no doubt that the deaths have had a deep and profound effect on Minnesotans and people nation-wide. As Stone said, "Wellstone touched people in a way few political leaders of this generation could. This guy had something inspiring to say. And he really meant it. He had the crowd and he had me. We will all miss that feeling."