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Perseverance pays off as Gore visits Wilkes
Perseverance pays off as Gore visits Wilkes By George E. Milevich
As pharmacists, we like to jorski (D-Pa.) and to the local think of ourselves as health campaign headquarters to discare professionals who are cuss my idea. I also got to insulated from the politics of know some of the local DemoWashington, D.C. However, a cratic campaign workers, who profession must embrace politencouraged me to invite Vice President Al Gore. The second icallife and aggressively lobby part of the process was to draft elected representatives in order an official invitation to Gore to advance its place in society. I am in my third professional and send it to the main headquarters in Nashville. year and graduation is little more than a year away. The It did not take long for the campaign offIcials to call back real world looms on the horiand thank me for the invitation. zon. I wondered what place Former Vice President Al Gore accepts a Nesbitt School of Pharmacy However, they told me that, that real world held for me and lab coat/rom Wilkes University President Christopher N. Breiseth (r) during his campaign visit to the campus. John Bosha, student body others graduating beside me. with only 4 weeks left before president and pharmacy student, looks on. the election, Gore was extremeWhen Wilkes University ly busy. Therefore, they were unable to add a visit to Wilkes to School of Pharmacy APhA-ASP Chapter President Ted Hall suggested that I run for the office of student political information nethis schedule. This did not come as a surprise. Many people had work coordinator, I knew I had an opportunity to do my part to told me that bringing the vice president to campus would be an impossible task. Still, I continued to keep in touch with Kanadvance the position of my colleagues and myself. My fIrst inclinajorski's office and I volunteered for the local Democratic tion was to hold a Legislative Day-as recommended by APhA-ASP-for which we could invite local politicians to visit campaign. Many local politicians got to know me by name and were the school to discuss the future of the pharmacy profession. Instead, willing to help bring Gore to Wilkes, because Pennsylvania was I decided it would be more timely to put my efforts toward pursuan important battleground state in the quest for the presidency. ing a visit by a presidential candidate. After discovering that Gore had scheduled another visit to The Year 2000 proved to be especially exciting. It was a year Wilkes-Barre for October 28, I was determined to fInd a way to that history may never see again, due to the closest presidential bring him to Wilkes. I quickly called campaign headquarters to election race in decades. Health care was a top priority for both remind them about my letter of invitation and asked them to candidates. I thought it would be a great idea to invite a presidenhelp me with my cause. A few days later, I learned that my tial candidate to come to Wilkes and share his opinions about efforts had been rewarded and that the vice president would in health care with uS,in person. fact be speaking on campus. Rejection fuels determination Gore visit continued on page 22 I made a few phone calls to the office of Rep. Paul E. Kan-
20 Phannocy Student
January/February 2001
As pharmacists, we like to jorski (D-Pa.) and to the local think of ourselves as health campaign headquarters to discare professionals who are cuss my idea. I also got to insulated from the politics of know some of the local DemoWashington, D.C. However, a cratic campaign workers, who profession must embrace politencouraged me to invite Vice President Al Gore. The second icallife and aggressively lobby part of the process was to draft elected representatives in order an official invitation to Gore to advance its place in society. I am in my third professional and send it to the main headquarters in Nashville. year and graduation is little more than a year away. The It did not take long for the campaign offIcials to call back real world looms on the horiand thank me for the invitation. zon. I wondered what place Former Vice President Al Gore accepts a Nesbitt School of Pharmacy However, they told me that, that real world held for me and lab coat/rom Wilkes University President Christopher N. Breiseth (r) during his campaign visit to the campus. John Bosha, student body others graduating beside me. with only 4 weeks left before president and pharmacy student, looks on. the election, Gore was extremeWhen Wilkes University ly busy. Therefore, they were unable to add a visit to Wilkes to School of Pharmacy APhA-ASP Chapter President Ted Hall suggested that I run for the office of student political information nethis schedule. This did not come as a surprise. Many people had work coordinator, I knew I had an opportunity to do my part to told me that bringing the vice president to campus would be an impossible task. Still, I continued to keep in touch with Kanadvance the position of my colleagues and myself. My fIrst inclinajorski's office and I volunteered for the local Democratic tion was to hold a Legislative Day-as recommended by APhA-ASP-for which we could invite local politicians to visit campaign. Many local politicians got to know me by name and were the school to discuss the future of the pharmacy profession. Instead, willing to help bring Gore to Wilkes, because Pennsylvania was I decided it would be more timely to put my efforts toward pursuan important battleground state in the quest for the presidency. ing a visit by a presidential candidate. After discovering that Gore had scheduled another visit to The Year 2000 proved to be especially exciting. It was a year Wilkes-Barre for October 28, I was determined to fInd a way to that history may never see again, due to the closest presidential bring him to Wilkes. I quickly called campaign headquarters to election race in decades. Health care was a top priority for both remind them about my letter of invitation and asked them to candidates. I thought it would be a great idea to invite a presidenhelp me with my cause. A few days later, I learned that my tial candidate to come to Wilkes and share his opinions about efforts had been rewarded and that the vice president would in health care with uS,in person. fact be speaking on campus. Rejection fuels determination Gore visit continued on page 22 I made a few phone calls to the office of Rep. Paul E. Kan-
20 Phannocy Student
January/February 2001