This past Wednesday, Senator Angus King visited the College as part of the In the News program run by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs. The event was titled “Lessons in Leadership from Maine to Washington: A Conversation with Senator Angus King” and was held in Page Commons.
In the News is a program that hosts events each Wednesday that are dedicated to encouraging dialogue among Colby College students and visiting speakers involved in politics and journalism. Every week, students meet for food and insightful conversations with political practitioners and thought leaders.
King became Maine’s first independent United States Senator in 2013 and is a strong believer in bipartisanship. He also served as Governor of Maine for two terms before he became a Senator.
Angus King’s visit was the first In the News event of the spring semester, and it was so popular that every seat in Page Commons was filled and the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs organized an alternative livestream viewing opportunity in a different room.
Finn Combs `29 watched the event over the livestream, and found it to be informative, even reassuring. “I really enjoyed how levelheaded he seemed,” Combs said. “It inspired confidence within me that he directly addressed some of the more outlandish and outrageous goings on that are currently happening in our government, and it made me feel very, like, ‘So they do know what’s happening, and they are trying to fix it, and they are trying to stop it,’ which is nice.”
Throughout the event, King emphasized his dedication to bipartisanship and described political polarization as “one of the most serious problems facing our country.” Combs said, “His commitment to bipartisanship… was inspirational, [as was] his dedication to crossing over party lines to make stuff happen for the average American.”
Despite the polarization that currently exists, King expressed optimism for improvement in the future. “I think we’re going to see some growth because people are tired of the parties fighting all the time, trying to gain advantage, not getting things done. So, I think… I don’t know how or when, but conceivably, you could see an independent president,” King said.
He also touched on his concerns about the U.S. alienating its allies, expressed his disgust with the operations of ICE, and ruminated on the necessary evil of the filibuster, among a variety of other topics.
The final message he left the audience with was, “Stay engaged, be in touch, come see me when you’re in Washington, and, by the way, I have four Colby people on my staff and nobody from Bowdoin. I don’t know how that happened.”
King holds an honorary degree from Bowdoin College and is a distinguished lecturer there. Combs found the Colby College connection to King inspiring. “It was cool to see, like, the Colby network reaching… up on the Hill, you know?” Combs said.
Upcoming In the News events will feature speakers such as Director of Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Puthiery Va and Opinion Columnist for the New York Times Ross Douthat.
~ Anna Izquierdo `29
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