Gov. Mitt Romney to Speak at Lawrence University

Gov. Mitt Romney, the current GOP presidential nominee frontrunner, will deliver a major policy announcement Friday, March 30 at 2 p.m. in Stansbury Theatre in the Lawrence University Music-Drama Center. A limited number of seats will be available to the Lawrence community. Overflow seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for a live video feed in Harper Hall, adjacent to Stansbury Theatre. “While Lawrence is very careful not to endorse candidates for political office, we do encourage our students to learn about the political process and to be involved in making informed decisions about candidates. As such, the governor’s appearance is an excellent educational opportunity for Lawrence students to experience first-hand the political process in the midst of an important election cycle,” said David Burrows, provost and dean of the faculty. “One of the founding traditions of a liberal arts college is the education and creation of good citizens and good citizenship includes understanding the issues in any election. This should offer a great teaching moment for the entire Lawrence community.” Lawrence was selected for the announcement based on its standing as the state’s top-ranked liberal arts institution. Last week before the Illinois primary, Romney issued a policy statement at the University of Chicago. Romney’s visit is only the latest example of Lawrence’s engagement in the national political arena. Earlier this year, Lawrence launched an Internet tool to help voters intelligently search for their own individual “best candidate.” According to the latest Rasmussen Reports’ look at the Wisconsin Republican primary race, Romney holds a double-digit lead over Sen. Rick Santorum. Based on statewide telephone survey, 46 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Wisconsin favor Romney, while 33 percent prefer Santorum. “Mitt Romney’s stop at Lawrence shows that he knows Wisconsin elections are decided here. Fox Valley voters are key both to the GOP nomination and to the state’s electoral vote in November,” said Arnold Shober, professor of government at Lawrence. “Despite the move to an April primary, Wisconsin is still a key piece of any candidate’s election strategy.