Last Friday, 5,000 people streamed onto campus to be part of a memorable event: Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered the latest lecture in the Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate. Thousands who couldn’t be there streamed the talk to their phones and computers.
President Jeffrey Herbst, who speaks passionately about the importance of retaining a sense of community in the Internet age, had two reasons for hosting the live event on campus. “Our 5,000 guests could have watched Secretary Clinton answer many of the same questions on YouTube,” he told members of the Parents’ Steering Committee who met on Saturday morning. “But the fact that they came together in the field house says something not only about our community, but also about the collective nature of learning.”
He also saw a great lasting benefit for students and faculty. “What is most satisfying is that events like these have ripple effects. The conversations continue late into the night in residence halls, in the classrooms, and elsewhere.”
Not incidental, the conversation continued in the media as well, reaching more than 13 million viewers by Monday. Colgate was mentioned in stories on news websites such as the Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire blog, the Daily Beast, Politico, Bloomberg, Syracuse.com, the German weekly newsmagazine Der Spiegel, and more. Television coverage included CNN and Syracuse Channels 2 (WKTV) and 3 (WSTM), and a host of network affiliates nationwide that picked up the story. Watch below.
More Global Leaders Who Have Visited Colgate
Joseph "Joe" Biden, Jr.
Former Vice President of the United States, 2017
