One-on-one interaction with political professionals in Washington, D.C. is a key component of Inside Politics, a semester-long mentoring and research experience offered by Gettysburg College's Eisenhower Institute (EI).

Fall 2010's Inside Politics expert-in-residence, former George W. Bush speechwriter and historian Kasey S. Pipes, mentored 15 students throughout a wide range of programming, including a multi-day experience in Washington and a semester-long research project.

Pipes introduced students to professionals such as Fox news commentator Juan Williams and Sarah Palin campaign advisor Tucker Eskew.

"This opportunity to work with people who make and push policy every day was really valuable," said Sierra Hartlaub '12, who is double-majoring in political science and globalization studies. "It made the idea of a career in politics a lot less 'out there' and a lot more tangible. I don't think I could have had this experience anywhere else. I looked at the Inside Politics program when I applied to Gettysburg."

As the Eisenhower Institute's Norris Public Policy Fellow, Pipes supervised Inside Politics students as they developed projects incorporating academic research and interviews. Pipes centered his teaching on President Eisenhower's creative political responses to the 1957 desegregation crisis at Little Rock Central High School. Pipes's book, Ike's Final Battle: The Road to Little Rock and the Challenge of Equality, was an Amazon.com national bestseller. Pipes also was the chief author of the National Republican Party Platform in 2004.

As the semester ended, Inside Politics students presented summaries of their research projects — ranging from how the United States formulates policy on the Middle East to the effects of social media on political campaigns — at a symposium at the EI's Washington office.

Hearing the reports was retired Air Force General Carl W. Reddel, Ph.D., executive director of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. Reddel — an expert on Russia, observer of missile destruction there under the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, and former head of the Air Force Academy's history department — also spoke to the students, focusing on Eisenhower's unique combination of unemotional rationality and passionate commitment to American ideals. Reddel also speculated about how Eisenhower might view today's culture of security and its relation to the military-industrial complex about which he warned in his 1961 Farewell Address. Reddel is a former Public Service Fellow at Gettysburg College's Center for Public Service.

The Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College is a nonpartisan center for leadership and public policy based in Washington, D.C. and at the former Eisenhower residence on campus. The EI promotes civic discourse, exposes students to top-level dialogue, and promotes leadership development.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with a strong academic tradition that includes Rhodes Scholars, a Nobel laureate and other distinguished scholars among its alumni. The college enrolls 2,600 undergraduate students and is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Contact: Jim Hale, senior staff writer