With a focus on the student debt crisis and domestic inequalities, the congressional candidate from the 13th district wanted students and faculty to know that they can create change.
“The people have a voice,” congressional candidate Brendan Boyle said.
“People can make much more of a difference than they realize,” Boyle continued. “If you just pick up the phone and call a legislative office, you will get a response.”
Boyle spoke as a part of the “Race for the 13th District” presentation on Monday, Oct. 13, in the Mansion. Speaking to an audience of about 10, Boyle was trying to get his name out there in hopes of later getting on the congressional ballot for the Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District, which includes parts of Northeast Philadelphia and Norristown.
Boyle’s focuses in his policy work are rooted in his background and experiences. Working for justice in education, Boyle understands the student debt crisis as he received his bachelors from Notre Dame University and pursued his masters after a couple years of working in the private sector.
“The hard part came in paying for college. Particularly when attending the college costed more than what your family made in a year,” Boyle said. “Since then, I wish I could say things have improved, but I can’t,” he added.
“They’ve gotten worse.”
Boyle shared that he still has approximately $50,000 worth of debt under his name.
Boyle is currently working to create a Pennsylvania model of the well-known Hope Scholarship that enables many students in Georgia the chance to go to college for free via funding through the state lottery.
But Boyle isn’t honed in on just one solution. “Reducing the interest rate on student loans would save a few hundred bucks a month for all borrowers,” he continued.
Boyle is also set on building up a society that is pinpointed on the common good.
“It is extremely important that we turn the economy around, and do so in a way that promotes social justice,” Boyle said.
He believes the way to do that is by raising the minimum wage.
“If you raise the minimum wage, you don’t only help the pocket known as the working poor, but you also lift about 10 million people out of poverty, putting them into the lower middle class,” Boyle said.
Regardless of receiving the nomination, Boyle’s views for the upcoming senate are hopeful. “With a senate that will be very closely divided [one way or the other], perhaps we could see some compromises that right now are unthinkable.”
Boyle concluded, “I’m more optimistic than most, but I think it’s a realistic optimism in which we could see some truly history compromises that right now don’t seem possible.”
Despite the low attendance, those who attended seemed to be pleased with Boyle’s discussion points.
Jean Jacobson, director of sponsored programs and foundation relations, attended because she had an interest in getting to know the college’s local legislators.
“In my job, I deal with a lot of funding through federal and state levels so I’m always interested in making those connections because it could result in resources for the college further down the road,” Jacobson said.
She added, “I thought his presentation was very balanced. His topics on income inequality are key issues and the college is very interested in those issues as well.”
John Hauenstein, a journalism major from Temple University, attended with a fellow friend. John is working on a project on all the candidates running for congress and is attempting to get to each candidate’s presentation.
“He conducted himself really well. Out of the other candidates we went to, he’s probably one of my top candidates,” Hauenstein said.
When asked about the reasoning behind the event, Dr. John Burke, executive director of The Wolfington Center, said, “We brought the candidates to Cabrini because it’s important to raise the concerns of institutional politics as part of Cabrini’s commitment to the focus on justice matters.”
Burke was satisfied with the outcome of the first presentation. He added, “It’s a beginning in terms of establishing regular forums with public officials on campus.”
