By Amanda Douville
Through a contest from The Huffington Post, Stony Brook’s Think Magazine was able to bring Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the popular news website to the university this past Monday night. Huffington sat down with School of Journalism Dean Howard Schneider as he asked her questions about her book, her political standings and her view on the state of the news media.
The event began with Think Magazine’s founder and editor Adam Peck, who talked about the contest the magazine entered and eventually won in order to get Huffington to the university. Shortly after nominating itself, Think was selected as one of the top 15 finalists. “We encouraged our friends, family and readers to vote,” said Peck, in a phone interview.
All the voting eventually paid off as Think was selected amongst two other organizations in the country. Huffing- ton added Stony Brook University to one of her many stops on her book tour. Her newly published book, entitled “Third World America,” speaks of the backwards role of politicians as well as the struggling middle class in America. The subtitle to the book, “How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream,” is key, mentioned Huffington during her appearance.
“We have an oligarchy,” Huffington said during the question and answer session with Dean Schneider. She spoke of many politicians, both former and present, who have lost sight of the greater American good. In addition, she went on to mention how political par- ties are more alike than they are different. Her point—no matter who is in charge, was that the middle class is dying.
“The game is rigged. The rules that apply to the elite are not the rules that apply to the middle class,” Huffington said. After thoroughly speaking of the incumbents who are taking away from the middle class, Huffington went on to speak of what the people should do about it.
Although times may be hard with an unstable economy and high unemployment rates, Huffington’s main point to her audience and readers was to get involved. “The greatest antidote to despair is action,” she said. But it is not only despair the American middle class is feeling. Anger is another word Huffington used to describe the reaction of the people.
At one point during the event, Stony Brook student and unofficial campus Tea Party leader Kevin Sabella stood up and asked Huffington about her view on tea party movements. Huffington responded by rationalizing the tea party’s attitude. “I was glad she acknowledged the tea party’s anger,” said Sabella, “…we’re just average people tired of getting hurt by both parties.”
It is groups like Sabella’s unofficial club that Huffington encourages. “Look at ways to take your skills and turn them into your livelihood,” Huffington said. Toward the end of her discussion, she spoke of the importance of taking those skills, which are overabundant and inherent in college students and re- cent graduates, and using them to help others. “They are some of the best journalists you can have,” Huffington said about fresh college graduates.
She said with a smile that the Huffington Post is hiring a small handful of college graduates, adding that she is confident that we are in fact in “a golden age for journalism.”
