The Drew Forum, located on the picturesque Madison campus, will kick off its 2013-2014 lectureship series with acclaimed journalist and author Dan Rather. In the past, the Forum has welcomed former presidents Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford, as well as lauded author Doris Kearns Goodwin. The Kean Lectureship, created in honor of Thomas H. Kean, former NJ governor and Drew president, also asked Condoleezza Rice to speak last year. The Madison High School Journalism and AP Government classes were invited to listen. Lisa Jenkins, a member of last year’s graduated senior class, comments that “it was amazing just to hear about Condoleezza Rice’s life and how she worked her way to being Secretary of State”. Just like Lisa, other Madison students benefitted from the lecture, taking away valuable lessons about the importance of perseverance.

A few lucky MHS students will have a similar chance this year as well; Drew University gifts the Journalism and AP Government classes annually with complementary tickets to the lectureship series, due to a Madison Chief Executive Council initiative. Jim Burnet, Assistant Administrator for the Borough of Madison, notes that the Council has “made a connection between Drew and the high school to the Forum lectureship series”, promoting the Chief Executive Council’s goals, including collaboration, education, and leadership.

On November 12, Dan Rather will speak at Drew’s Simon Forum, beginning at 8 PM. Tickets went on sale October 7^th, with a single ticket price of $32.  Dan Rather’s extensive journalistic background includes coverage of the Vietnam War and Watergate as well as authoring several New York Times bestsellers. Junior Quinn Hurley, a reporter for the Madison Dodger Online, notes that she’s “excited to hear Dan Rather’s talk because it will be a good learning experience to listen to a successful journalist”.

Barbara Walters will close out the Kean Lectureship season on April 13^th, starting at 8 PM. Walters is the first female co-anchor of any network evening and, like Rather, boasts a background in journalism; however, she is also known for ABC Daytime’s The View, of which she is the creator, co-host and executive producer. Walters is also famous for her Barbara Walters Specials, which she has hosted since 1976, and has interviewed Margaret Thatcher, Fidel Castro, Indira Gandhi, along with many others. Georgia Turvey, also a writer for the Madison Dodger Online, comments of Walters that “she is an inspiration to female journalists in this country”. Madison journalism students representing the classes of 2014 and 2015 will have the opportunity to take advantage of the Forum lectureship.