Maya Martin, Editor

La Salle had the pleasure of welcoming two former congressmen, Brian Baird and Mike Bishop, to campus this past Sept. 16-18. The two former representatives visited through a program called Congress to Campus.

Congress to Campus is a bipartisan program that brings former members of congress to college campuses to provide civic education and discussion. According to FMC, the nonprofit that hosts the program, “These dialogues bring today’s issues to the forefront and showcase the benefits of healthy partisanship and civility within disagreement.”

Students and staff were able to take part in a variety of activities and discussions during the Congress to Campus visit at La Salle. The schedule consisted of a reception, meet and greet, and an interactive Q&A session. During the sessions, the former congressmen spoke about the increase in polarization, restoring trust in institution leaders and a range of related issues.

Baird and Bishop also made their way to classrooms throughout campus in various departments to have class discussions and answer questions from students.

“It was refreshing to have an hour-long discussion with the two former congressmen in class,” said junior Allison Ringsdorf. “Learning about their experiences, opinions and aspirations about mass media’s effect on politics from both a Republican and Democratic point of view was engaging and informative.”

During Baird and Bishop’s visit, it was evident that their focus went beyond political barriers and tensions. Both representatives even said that they were not intending to go into Congress.

“I think we’re brought up in families that believe in public service in one way, shape or the other, not necessarily elected government, but just, you know, making sure that you do whatever you can to give back to your community,” said Bishop. “It was really a value of virtue that was ingrained in me.”

Baird and Bishop’s extensive backgrounds in service did not go unnoticed during their time at La Salle. Bishop served on the Ways and Means committee, founded his own law firm and has received numerous awards for his work. Baird served six terms in the House of Representatives and has an extensive background in psychology, science and engineering. 

“The best thing we can do with our life is give of ourselves to make a difference and make the world a better place,” said Baird. “It’s the best thing about our country, the country really, the democracy, won’t succeed if people aren’t motivated by service.”

La Salle’s mission and dedication to service and building community was apparent to the congressman.

“We’ve been all over the country to big schools, small schools. This is every bit as active, as attentive and as motivated as any student body that I’ve ever met,” said Baird. “Environments like this, universities like this, it just proves that the next generation has it figured out.”

Similarly, Bishop said, “​​I’m so impressed with the students here and their care and respect for each other, their commitment to try to make a difference in the world, their involvement in so many things… I have not met a student here who I believe can’t accomplish great things, and so, just believe in that.”
Undoubtedly, the Congress to Campus program brought a great sense of pride to La Salle and exemplified how well the institution promotes service and community. For more information about Congress to Campus, visit usafmc.org/congress-to-campus.