A college administration building is stormed by over one hundred students in an 11-hour sit-down strike against the Vietnam War. This does not seem unheard of considering the nation�s tumultuous feelings and actions during this period in history�but this particular demonstration occurred at Hofstra�s very own Weller Hall.
It is hard to imagine that the leader of this anti-war demonstration is a Republican senator and staunch supporter of President George W. Bush. Today, Hofstra alum Norm Coleman is hardly recognizable as the once long-haired liberal who lived in a muddy tent for three days during Woodstock.
During his college years Coleman was frequently embroiled in political controversiaries, both on campus and at the national level. He even reached the physical and dangerous side of the spectrum when a heated debate from a student senate candidate turned violent. Candidate Tom Bugglin punched Coleman in the face, leaving the future senator bloodied but relatively unscathed. He later joked about the incident, and told Public Safety officers that he had hit himself.
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�I look at the Woodstock generation versus Hofstra�s young republicans and I say, �choose Woodstock.��
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Those social skills and radical actions gained Coleman notoriety on campus. He exhibited extraordinary charisma and skill in awakening student activism. In an editorial for the Hofstra Chronicle, he called for �anti-war and increased student voice in University governance.�
Demonstrations like the Weller Hall sit-in were not uncommon. In 1972, he attempted to shut down the entire school in response to the Kent State shootings in Ohio. Eleventh hour negotiations with the conservative administration prevented the intended shutdown.
�The days surrounding the Kent State killings are emblazoned in my memory. I remember staying up all night with my political science professor, Leon Martel, as we sought to map out a peaceful process for resolving differences at the time of the student strikes. In the end, we succeeded,� said Senator Coleman.
Coleman has come a long way from his days of storming the steps of Adams Playhouse in famed anti-war rallies. Today, he has embraced national defense and support for America�s involvement in Iraq.
�I greatly respect people acting out principled beliefs in a non-violent manner. I disagree with those who would protest getting rid of a brutal, murderous tyrant, Saddam Hussein,� said Coleman, �Ask the women and children of Iraq, who are free from the torture chambers, mass killings and children prisons if they were better off with Saddam gone. However, I respect non-violent protest.�
After graduating from Hofstra he went on to receive a law degree from the University of Iowa before heading to Minnesota, where he worked for Democratic Attorney General Warren Spannus. In 1993, he was elected mayor of St. Paul, a job that he garnered endless praise for. During his tenure in office, St. Paul�s property values doubled, and close to 20,000 new jobs were created. Coleman brought the National Hockey League back to the state by acquiring the Minnesota Wild for the capital city. He enlarged the city police force, and subsequently the violent crime rate dramatically decreased.
Although, Coleman narrowly lost the Minnesota gubernatorial election to former pro-wrestler Jesse Ventura in 1998, he reached the national level in his defeat over former vice-president Walter Mondale, a candidate who had never lost a race, in the heavily publicized Senate election in 2002. One month prior to the election his opponent, Paul Wellstone, was killed in a plane crash.
Coleman gained the most publicity in regard to his political actions when he defected from his longstanding affiliation with the Democratic Party and switched to the GOP. This was an ironic move considering his previous statements and actions.
�I look at the Woodstock Generation vs. Hofstra�s Young Republicans and I say choose Woodstock,� said Coleman in a 1971 issue of the Hofstra Chronicle.
He fought relentlessly for his liberal and often radical political agenda, all the while building alliances and gaining followers. This has many questioning his motive for changing parties. How could he now represent what he was initially fighting against?
�I share values with my party on core issues of job growth, education reform and strong national defense, but I will also differ from my party on other issues such as affirmative action,� said Coleman, �I didn�t change my stance on any issue when I changed parties.�
Relations with his former-fellow Democrats were relatively strained in the years leading up to the party change. Coleman represented a pro-life stance, advocated business interests, desired to overhaul welfare and did not whole-heartedly support employee unions, all of which were platforms not usually associated with his former party. This all came to a head at the 1996 Minnesota Democratic Convention where Coleman was booed by his supposed political allies as he attempted to claim support for his party and its upcoming candidates.
�As Mayor of St. Paul, almost all of my efforts to reform government were rebuffed by the Democratic Party,� said Coleman. �I became a Republican to bring to reality things I believed as a Democrat � create opportunity, streamline government and focus on growing jobs.�
Some critics feel his switch was merely facilitated by his own desires and ambitions for higher office. Others see it as an inevitably choice as his ideology began to sway further and further to the right.
�I switched parties before I sought re-election of Mayor of St. Paul � a city that votes 70 percent Democrat. Most observers said it was political suicide � not ambition,� said Coleman, �Ultimately, I confounded the critics and won with 59 percent of the vote.�
Coleman appeared to stay more than viable by remaining on the forefront of national politics. He was the chair for George W. Bush�s campaign in Minnesota, and received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. As for his future political endeavors, Coleman intends to remain in public service for the people of Minnesota.
�I�m incredibly honored the people of Minnesota elected me to this great office. I�m here to serve them,� said Coleman, �So right now, I am working as hard as I possibly can to craft federal policy that is good for the country and benefits Minnesotans.�
Coleman recently added the anti-piracy fight to his list of issues. The Recording Industry of America has brought litigation against illegal downloaders. This has sparked a nationwide controversy affecting mostly college students, the largest population of downloaders.
�I got involved in the issue as a parent of two teenagers, who live in a world where downloading music is an everyday reality.� said Coleman, � I believe the Recording Industry needs to do more than just make an example of a small percentage of people. At a minimum they should be doing a better job meeting customer needs by offering safer, cheaper, legal options.�
Although, this remains an important issue, college students also need to remember that downloading music without paying is illegal, and warrants penalties said Coleman.
Images of the radical young man fighting the establishment for Hofstra�s Student Mobilization Committee (SMC), and leading the school as student body president can certainly be considered preludes of the Brooklyn-born senator�s leadership and political action of today.
�I learned lessons of leadership from my involvement in student government and anti-war protest,� said Coleman, �I tried to move beyond the rhetoric. I focused on pragmatic ways to solve differences. I learned a great deal from folks with whom I agreed and disagreed � professors such as Leon Martel, Dick Sypher, Sam Toperoff and Herb Rosenbaum.�
Senator Coleman acknowledges hard work and dedication in his successes after Hofstra. �Almost everything I�ve achieved in life resulted from having good work ethic. If you want to be successful in anything, you need to be willing to put in long hours,� said Coleman, �Also, keep your youthful compassion and be willing to serve.�
