Bill Clinton has been doing more than supporting his wife on the campaign trail lately.

The former president recently launched the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU), aiming to bring student, university, social and political leaders together in an effort to find rational solutions to worldwide problems, according to a news release.

Clinton said timing was right to start the program due to the technology available to today’s students. Sponsored by mtvU, the former commander-in-chief and Scott S. Cowen, president of Tulane University, held an exclusive conference call with college journalists to help promote the CGIU.

‘With mtvU, the Internet and all these social networking sites, college students can connect with each other like never before, learn more about what needs to be done and join together to make a real difference,’ he said.

The project is a subsidiary of the Clinton Global Initiative.

The former president also cited the current attitude of college students in America as an element in the expansion of the program.

‘We’re expanding this CGI because young people have proven that they are enormously committed to changing the world, and they have enormous power to do so,’ Clinton said.

After finishing his preliminary statements, Clinton promoted the inaugural CGIU conference to be held in New Orleans in March. Students from all over the country are invited to apply for the three-day event.

The selection requirements are beyond just a good reference, he said.

In exchange for attending the meeting held at Tulane University, Clinton is asking each applicant to pledge a personal commitment and a project to contribute to the city of New Orleans.

Clinton took three questions from college journalists, which were previously submitted, resembling a town-hall debate. The questions were recorded, and students could not respond directly to the former president.

The questions covered broad topics ranging from significant global issues to pro-activity among college students to poverty alleviation.

Clinton will continue to promote his new CGIU initiative and encourages college students to get involved in their university’s non-government groups – a movement he hopes will become a standard in their education.

His proposal leaves an outlook through which he wants to see universities branding their non-government organizations, like they brand sports teams and having their popularity outweigh students’ ‘favorite fraternities and sororities.’

Clinton’s response to a question on the most significant global issues yielded an answer, which hit close to home for students attending the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as he challenged colleges across the country to go completely carbon neutral.

Richard Smardon, a professor at SUNY-ESF, said Clinton’s plan matches goals set by the school.

Even though the idea isn’t innovative, he said it could inspire other universities.

‘Well I mean it’s parallel to what were doing right now,’ Smardon said. ‘(SUNY-ESF) President Murphy’s agenda is to be carbon neutral and we’re looking at it right now.

‘(Clinton’s idea) is not new, but it’s sort of encouraging for some universities who are out front to keep moving and for those that are not moving along so well, it gives them encouragement to get with it,’ he said.

SUNY-ESF President Cornelius Murphy said as far as Clinton’s program goes, there’s no doubt it will aid the environmentally friendly movement.

‘It’s the new generation that has the opportunity to make the greatest change in both our daily lives and how we conduct our daily lives to minimize our carbon footprint,’ he said.

‘I think also to pick up the charge, pick up the energy and move us from non-renewable sources of energy to renewable sources of energy,’ Murphy said.

Although Smardon was not opposed to Clinton’s program, he said the former president didn’t measure up to his environmental and political counterpart – former Vice President Al Gore.

‘I think Al Gore has done more than anybody else,’ Smardon said. ‘Everyone else seems to be trailing on his coattails to make that issue come alive.’

ctorr@syr.edu

Published on February 13, 2008 at 12:00 pm