TSU Students to See Inner Workings of US Politics when C-SPAN Bus Visits Campus Jan. 15

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) - The TSU community, especially journalism and communications students and professors, will get a firsthand look at how one of the nation’s major news networks operates.

C-SPAN, a cable-satellite and public affairs network, whose mission is to make government more transparent to Americans, will visit the campus Tuesday, Jan 15, as part of the C-SPAN Bus “Southern Swing” Tour.

The Bus, which will make stops at other locations in Nashville, will also help celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at events around the city on Monday, March 21. The MLK Day’s events include the Youth Rally at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, and the Annual Convocation at the TSU Gentry Center.

For the TSU campus visit on Tuesday, Jan. 15, the C-SPAN Bus will be located in front of the Performing Arts Center on the main campus. The event will run from 12 – 2 p.m.

"The university is thankful for this incredible opportunity for our students, especially those aspiring to be civic leaders, journalists and others, to see the principles on which this nation was built and how the constitution and laws govern everyday life," said TSU President Glenda Glover. "The C-SPAN mobile unit is a great way to bring the civics curriculum to life in an interactive manner."

Through interactive kiosks and demonstrations aboard the award-winning state-of-the-art, 45-foot customized Bus, students and visitors will learn about C-SPAN's in-depth coverage of the American political process and comprehensive online educational resources, including an extensive video library of close to 250,000 hours of searchable content for viewing, research and education purposes.

In addition, bus visitors will be invited to share their thoughts on what it means to be an American for C-SPAN's "Voices from the Road" project.

Dr. Karen Russell, professor of journalism and coordinator of the mass communications program at TSU, said faculty will use this opportunity to engage with the students and incorporate that learning experience into the curriculum.

“This is a great opportunity for our students, not just our journalists and future media professionals, but for all students to get an in-depth look at a respectable, well-known news source,” Russell said. “We plan to take full advantage of the C-SPAN visit while we have them for the benefit of our students.”

Leone Dunn is a senior communications major from Omaha, Nebraska. She is also news editor of the TSU student newspaper “The Meter.” She believes that many of her fellow students do not have a good understanding of the current political climate and how it affects them.

“I believe that the C-SPAN Bus visit will be extremely beneficial because it will give students an opportunity to be engaged in an interactive way,” Dunn said. “This is certainly going to open doors for a lot of people to see what actually is going on and give them a better understanding of how politics affects there daily life.”

A C-SPAN release said in addition to Tennessee, the "Southern Swing" Tour, over eight weeks, will make stops in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Partnering with Comcast, the C-SPAN Bus will also visit Antioch High School while in Tennessee to engage students, teachers, community members and elected officials.

"We are excited for the opportunity to meet, engage and share our resources with residents along our 'Southern Swing' and hearing from people about what being an American means to them," said Heath Neiderer, C-SPAN marketing manager. "Some of the cities on this tour haven't seen our Bus in many years. We hope they enjoy their experience aboard our interactive mobile classroom and discover new ways of keeping well-informed."

Below are the times and locations of the C-SPAN Bus stops in Nashville for the MLK Day:

Monday, January 21, 2019

7:45 AM – 10 AM     MLK Day in Nashville – Youth Rally

Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church                                                         2708 Jefferson St., Nashville, TN 37208

11 AM – 12:30 PM   MLK Day in Nashville – Convocation

Gentry Center at Tennessee State University                                    3500John A. Merritt Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208

Department of Media Relations

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3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
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