Politics, a "Not-So-Boring" Man and a Grand View

The end of this week in the Summer for Undergraduates Program was a flurry of activity.

On Friday, we visited the State Capitol- specifically the Governor's Office and the offices of the Attorney General and the Chief Financial Officer. Politics in Florida is especially interesting right now. It is an election year. Governor Charlie Crist is running for U.S. Senate. Though Governor Crist was elected as a Republican, he has switched to become an independent for his senate run. The Attorney General of Florida, Bill McCollum, is also a Republican and is currently running for governor. Mr. McCollum is one of the state attorneys general who is challenging the new health care law for its constitutionality. Though the AG was not in his office yesterday, we got to take a look at his desk. I remember a unique University of Florida Gator mascot made from legos setting on top.

Alex Sink is the State CFO, and her office is just down the hall from the Attorney General. She is a Democrat and is running for governor against Mr. McCollum.

Coincidentally, I met Ms. Sink and Kendrick Meek (the likely Democratic opponent against Governor Crist in the senate race) at fund raisers last year during my employment with Parks and Crump.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the top priority for many people at the Capitol right now.

The Governor, the CFO and the Attorney General all occupy the first floor of the Capitol Building.

The evening before our visit to their offices, we also went to the Capitol Building. This time, however, it was to the very top floor (22nd) for a networking reception with attorneys and judges in Tallahassee. I did not know until this week that this floor is open to the general public during normal business hours.

The view of Tallahassee from the 22nd floor is grand. I saw the law school far below, along with the football stadium, the hospital, and the roads I frequently drive.

The Capitol Building is the tallest in Tallahassee, and it was neat to look upon downtown and see a rooftop swimming pool in one of the hotels. One of my fellow mentors called his girlfriend at her apartment and got her to come outside and wave to us. She looked like an ant.

While enjoying this view, the students ate gourmet quality food and got to know some of the movers and shakers in the politics and the legal professions of Tallahassee.

On Tuesday of this week, Judge Robert Hinkle of the Northern District of Florida spoke to the students in his courtroom at the Federal Courthouse. Judge Hinkle is one of the most intelligent individuals to address the group, having earned a bachelor's degree from Florida State before attending Harvard law school. He was nominated to become a federal judge by President Bill Clinton in 1996.

One of the students asked how the judge got to be where he is in life. Judge Hinkle described himself as "boring," and said that if he had lived a more colorful life, he probably would not have been selected to be a judge.

But as one of the students commented to me after the session was over, we could all tell that he was being modest. People with those credentials who describe themselves as "boring," the student said, are almost always anything but boring. Indeed, we had to cut off student questions for the judge in order for them to have time for lunch.

As I have said before, the students are really appreciating all the opportunities and connections to which they have been exposed.

YFM,

Nathan Marshburn