Macalester Hosts Project Pericles Conference

Macalester College will host the first national Project Pericles conference this weekend. On Saturday evening, Macalester will award Eugene Lang, the founder of the project, with an honorary degree.

Project Pericles is a non-profit organization that encourages institutions of higher learning to integrate a commitment to participatory citizenship and social responsibility

Allegheny College, Berea College, Bethune-Cookman College, Chatham College, Dillard University, Elon University, Hampshire College, New England College, New School University, Occidental College, Pace University, Pitzer College, Rhodes College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Swarthmore College, Ursinus College, Wagner College and Widener University participate in Project Pericles along with Macalester.

Discussion topics will include “Increasing the Political Engagement of Students,” “Doing Well by Doing Good: Exploring Service and Philanthropy” and “The 2004 Election: What Students Did; What Students Learned.”

Former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke will be the keynote speaker. Lang, a retired businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was the founder of the “I Have a Dream” (IHAD) Foundation, which helps children from low-income areas reach their education and career goals by providing a long-term program of mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment with an assured opportunity for higher education.

Ninety people, including administrators, faculty and students from the participating schools are expected to attend the conference.

-Brief written by Editor-in-Chief Lizzie Tannen
 

Precinct Ballot Counter Malfunctions, No Ballots Lost in Fire

The precinct results at Macalester-Plymouth United Church were not close, but they were still a little too hot to handle Tuesday night. Shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m., the electronic counting machine used to tally ballots started smoking and caught fire as it generated a receipt of the vote totals.

No ballots were lost but the small fire certainly surprised poll workers, who quickly unplugged the machine and packed it away to be sent to the Ramsey County Board of Elections.

“I have never seen anything catch on fire [at the polls],” said Colleen Beagan, who has been an election worker since 1992, and was monitoring the machine when it began to shoot flames.

The small fire was an unexpected finish to an Election Day in the Macalester precinct that peaked in the mid-morning and slowed to a crawl by the late afternoon. More than two-thirds of the 1509 total voters cast their ballots before 4 p.m., including students who followed actors Sharon Stone and Josh Hartnett to the polls. Stone and Hartnett participated in a morning get-out-the-vote rally sponsored by the Kerry campaign on Bateman Plaza to encourage students to vote.

The final vote totals in the precinct heavily favored Sen. John Kerry and other Democratic Farmer Labor Party candidates. In the presidential race, Kerry received 1345 votes, Bush received 148 votes and Better Life Party candidate Ralph Nader received four votes.

In the Fourth District Congressional race, Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL) received 1254 votes, Patrice Bataglia (Republican) received 140 votes, and Peter Vento (Independence) received 58 votes. In the State House race for District 64, incumbent Matt Entenza ’83 (DFL) received 1288 votes, while Republican challenger Kirstin Beach received 150 votes.

-Brief written by Staff Writer Peter Gartrell