Hempstead, NY Vol.77 | Issue 17
The Hofstra
Chronicle
Thursday
March 1, 2012
Keeping the Hofstra Community informed since 1935
The problem we have is people just play small. -Cory Booker Newark Mayor Cory Booker motivates students to get politically active in his speech, “Changing the World with your Bare Hands” for P.R.I.D.E. Week. By Cody Heintz and Robert Binger Business ManageR/staff
Cory Booker, now serving in his second term as Mayor of newark, new Jersey, spoke at Hofstra on Wednesday, feb.29 in the Helene fortunoff theater of Monroe Lecture Center to kick off the university’s 2012 Pride, Politics & Policy events as the university prepares for the 2012 Presidential Debate.
the speech aimed to empower students to take action that would improve their communities, and to improve the world through small acts of kindness. Booker didn’t use his time at Hofstra to speak about policy or preach his record as newark mayor, but rather to encourage students to be true to themselves and to take responsibility for the world in which they live. He was told that going into poli-
tics would leave him like many politicians today: depressed and hopeless. “i have more faith in what we can do in this nation now, than ever,” said Booker. Booker used examples from his personal and family life to illustrate how different acts of kindness can affect a community. He gave a story of his father’s hometown, which pitched together to generate
enough money so that his father could go to college. Booker also shared the story of how black and white people came together to help african americans gain equality in housing, which is how Booker’s parents were able to buy a house in Harrington Park. “We got there because of americans that did things not required of them,” said Booker. early in his career as council-
Cody Heintz/The Chronicle
man of newark, Booker spent 10 days living in a tent while on a hunger strike. the hunger strike’s purpose was to promote the lack of police presence in a crime-ridden section of his district in the Central Ward. Booker proceeded with the hunger strike because though he did not know exactly what to do to solve the problem, he felt that
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