Purdue News

February 19, 2002 Sen. Evan Bayh issues 'call to service' at Purdue WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue students will hear about the Call to Service Act, Senate Bill 1792, from U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh when he visits the West Lafayette campus Thursday (2/21). Purdue Student Government leaders invited Bayh to address the campus community on the Call to Service Act of 2001, a bill he is co-sponsoring in the Senate with Arizona Sen. John McCain. Bayh will speak at 2 p.m. in the Purdue Memorial Union South Ballroom. He will be joined by a panel of Purdue administrators and students involved in the university's community service efforts, including President Martin C. Jischke; Don Gentry, vice provost for engagement; and members of the Boiler Volunteer Network. The Call to Service Act, co-sponsored in the House by representatives Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) and Tom Osborne (R-Neb.), would create 200,000 new AmeriCorps volunteer positions, with half of the volunteers dedicated to homeland defense efforts. Another section of the bill calls for colleges and universities to bolster their commitment to community service through the federal work-study program. The proposal also updates and modernizes current GI Bill benefits and includes a new military enlistment program that would offer greater flexibility and more options for those interested in serving in the armed forces. Source: Brenda Shea, Purdue Student Government, (765) 494-7201, bshea@purdue.edu NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Because the senator is on a tight schedule, journalists planning to cover the event are advised to arrive 15 minutes prior to the presentation. A question-and-answer session for media and members of the audience will follow. Journalists wishing to arrange a separate interview with Sen. Bayh should contact his communications director, Mark Kornblau, at (202) 441-2896 (cell) or mark_kornblau@bayh.senate.gov. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page