In a tightly-contested caucus season, Cornell has become a hot-spot for candidates and campaigns to spread their message to Iowa voters in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.

While Cornell endorses no candidate or party, it does actively encourage students to partake in the democratic process and encourages political discourse of all kinds.  And when the early caucus date threatened to keep students from participating over winter break, Cornell responded and opened Merner Hall to the politically-minded student.

So, in the last weeks of fourth block, Sen. Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (on behalf of Sen. Hillary Clinton), and Gov. Bill Richardson have all called on Cornellians.  What resulted was impassioned discussion, inquisitive questioning and the kind of democratic participation you can only find in Iowa.