News
February 6
The United Leaders Fellowship (ULF), a Cambridge-based, nonprofit organization that has been recruiting across the country to train future political leaders, recently made a stop on the Tufts campus in search of the University's own innovators. ULF came to Tufts on Thursday, Feb. 3 to hold a general interest meeting for prospective applicants. The meeting, held in Eaton Hall, featured ULF admissions staff as well as Tufts students who have participated in the program in the past. David Baumwoll, President of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate and an alumnus of the ULF, explained that the program's goals are to "mobilize the millennial generation to see politics as a way to change the world." Baumwoll, who participated in the ULF during the summer of 2004, said the program focuses on a bridging what he calls a "service gap." Faith in the political system among youth has decreased despite an increase in the presence of community service initiatives across college campuses, he said. ULF aims to bridge this gap by not only participating in community service, but by also engaging students in discussion once the service work is completed. Senior Randall Yee participated in ULF during the summer of 2003 and attended the meeting on Thursday night. Yee noted that, in addition to recruiting new Tufts students to become future fellows, the meeting was also a chance for alumni to introduce the initiatives begun by Tufts' own United Leaders chapter. As an alumnus, Yee is implementing the lessons he learned during his summer session with the fellowship. "Once you are back on campus, you have to become a campus catalyst, [someone who] mobilizes people towards public service," Yee said. According to Baumwoll, Tufts students are placed at an advantage in part because the organization was founded in 1999 by Tufts alumni Jesse Levey (LA '02), Larry Harris, Jr. (LA '00), Jack Schnirman (LA '99), and Erin Ross (LA '02). United Leaders Fellows are also housed in Tufts University dorms during the summer. Yee and Baumwoll's own contribution has been the launching of "Politics 2 the People," an organization that aims to "get people in our generation interested in politics, political service, and how to change the world through politics - how to be idealistic." According to Yee, "Politics 2 the People" projects include gathering Tufts students to perform a community service project, such as visiting a local soup kitchen. Once the project is completed, the students will reconvene with professors or speakers from public service backgrounds for discussion. It is then, Yee added, that students can "implement the policies they learned and discuss what we can do in Somerville and Medford or, in other words, bring the politics to the people of the community." The ULF now offers a full-year program for students who have demonstrated superior leadership characteristics. In the past, programs have been shorter, generally spanning the summer. In order to apply, students must complete an application and conduct a phone interview with ULF leaders. Students must be prepared to explain why they are interested in political service, Yee said. Once accepted, students must attend the United Leaders Institute in the summer. The institute, described as "an intense eight-week summer training academy" on the organization's website, engages participants in internships with the Massachusetts Statehouse as well as projects in Boston's neglected neighborhoods. The summer institute serves as a precursor to a full school year mobilization where student leaders implement what they learned over the summer at their own college campus. United Leaders Fellows are given a $2,000 stipend during the summer as well as an additional $2,000 stipend during the school year. Participants are also given free room and board at Tufts. Michael Swigert, a sophomore majoring in Political Science who is considering applying to the program, said there is promise in an organization like ULF. "I definitely think it's positive. I like the idea of community service because a lot of the time when people are studying they forget that political decisions boil down to individuals and communities," Swigert said. While the public service aspect of the program is no doubt invaluable to both participants and the community, Baumwoll said the ensuing conversation is as equally important. "While the shelter is helpful, the problem is oftentimes bigger than the shelter," Baumwoll said.
