The rare opportunity to interact with officials from the White House is being offered to Syracuse University students in a forum examining the critical issues facing the United States.

The event, which will take place Wednesday night., is a part of the ‘White House Young America Series,’ which is aimed at connecting government officials to the concerns of young adults and encouraging student-devised solutions to these pressing issues, according to an April 10 SU News release.

‘We want everyone to take advantage of it, not just the people who run SU,’ said Student Association President Dylan Lustig. ‘It’s an interesting opportunity – a unique opportunity.’

The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium and is one of 17 forums being held at college campuses across the country this spring, according to the release.

Registration has reached its capacity, but the forum will be streamed online and on television monitors in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, according to the event’s website.

Students can also follow and contribute to the discussion via Twitter with the hashtag #WHatSU.

SU, SA, the Cornell University Student Assembly, Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life, the White House Office of Public Engagement and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach are sponsoring the event.

The event will initially focus on the challenges of environmental sustainability and urban development, Lustig said.

Later, it will shift to 45 minutes of open forum dialogue, and there will be panels on student-driven solutions to these issues and civil engagement, he said.

SU was a logical place to hold the event because of its rich history of promoting active citizenship, Lustig said.

‘It’s something that this school has always been huge on and something we want to drive home to the country – the fact that we value civic engagement,’ he said.

Officials from the Department of Education, the Office of Public Engagement, spoken-word artists, local business leaders, and SU and Cornell students are scheduled to speak.

But the possibility for higher-profile individuals to make an appearance also exists, Lustig said.

‘Usually, when bigger people decide to come, they decide to do it a day before,’ he said. ‘We’ll see. We have our fingers crossed for some cool people to come.’

Natalie Raps, president of the Cornell University Student Assembly, said the discussion is meant to revolve around issues students are passionate about.

‘These broader themes that the conference starts off with is not necessarily what the summit is supposed to be about,’ Raps said. ‘It’s supposed to be open dialogue, organic discussion about things that are not only relevant to the entire community, but to you and your friends.’

A similar event at the University of Pennsylvania inspired students to collaborate on solving the issue of food deserts, which are areas where residents do not have access to a supermarket, Raps said.

Learning how to generate this type of positive change with others is the essence of the series, she said.

‘It’s not just a conference where people talk at you,’ Raps said. ‘Everyone in the audience is part of your community, and they wouldn’t be there if they weren’t willing and interested in being a part of the change.’

Published on April 17, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Dylan: dmsegelb@syr.edu | @dylan_segelbaum