By Mike Naughton
With the Democratic National Convention set to be held at the FleetCenter from July 26 to 29, Press Secretary Lina Garcia said convention organizers are interested in North-
eastern as one of the universities to provide participants and supporters with housing.
“We are looking to Northeastern as one of the universities to house members of the Democratic Party be-
cause of its great location, its new apartment-style dorms and because it offers great conference areas,” Garcia said. “Northeastern also offers low-cost, affordable housing for youths and volunteers who may not be able to afford higher priced housing elsewhere.”
According to Assoc-
iate Dean of Housing Services Marina Ian-
nalfo, the DNC is just one of many organizations that come to Northeastern with proposals for the possibility of housing groups and volunteers on campus during the summer.
“Our Summer Confe-
rence Housing Program does continuous marketing to groups that come to Boston during the summers for conferences and events,” Iannalfo said. “The DNC is one of several organizations that we have spoken to about summer of 2004 housing.”
The types of groups that will be housed on campus will consist mainly of youth groups, volunteers and some delegates who may not be able to pay more for a room elsewhere, Garcia said. These visitors will not be mixed in buildings with students and will have different rooms available to them.
“Several options will be available to the DNC guests,” Iannalfo said. “After we determine the needs of our students, we will work with the DNC regarding what facilities are available.”
Garcia said that “nothing has been 100 percent confirmed, but planning for the guests staying on campus is in the final stages and we are really confident everything will work out.”
Some Northeastern students see the university’s involvement in the convention as a positive choice.
“Sure, it’s a good idea,” said Hien Nguyen, a junior management information systems major. “If it’s promotion for the school, why not? It might not bring revenue, but it’s not a bad idea.”
Emily White, a middler psychology major, said that the university’s housing of those attending the convention should not interfere with student housing or student affairs.
“I would be against it if it was denying students housing,” White said.
When the DNC comes to Boston in ’04, it will attempt to grab the attention of a younger generation who, according to DNC committee members, is becoming less and less involved in politics.
Officials of this year’s convention are attempting to reach out to the youth of America by offering different contests for teens and young adults, in hopes of a younger crowd becoming more involved in politics and the DNC.
“We are trying to engage the youth in this year’s convention,” Garcia said. “We are also trying to make the convention more accessible for young people.”
