Students take tea with Rendell

When professors scale back the classes they teach, it is usually not because Bill Clinton tapped them for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship.

But then again, Gov. Ed Rendell is not the usual Penn professor.

The Pennsylvania governor sat down for tea with the Philomathean Society Friday evening for more than an hour and a half, captivating the attending 30-person audience.

The governor -- both a Penn graduate and current professor -- discussed an array of issues, including grade inflation at Penn and his passion for The Lord of the Rings.

The Philomathean Society, founded in 1813, is the nation's oldest continually existing literary society. The society's headquarters on the fourth floor of College Hall fits its archaic history. Rendell sat in a stuffy, dark room with portraits and jam-packed bookcases surrounding him and his audience, many of whom were sipping tea and sampling various cakes.

The Philomathean Society aims to promote intellectual discussions among its members and guests.

Rendell focused on the importance of student political awareness and participation. He said young voters need to realize that it is not enough to vote only in presidential elections; midterm and off-year elections are just as important, he said.

"Politics is not for casual indulgence," Rendell said. "It's always going to be the controlling vehicle for things that are important to people's lives."

Rendell rebuffed the idea of a 2008 presidential run. "I would love to be president if I could be picked, but the thought of running [for] two, three years, it's just not worth it," he said.

Rendell stressed the need for government spending and consumer fiscal responsibility.

"We scream and bitch about the price of gas per gallon, but we routinely go into stores and buy bottles of water that you can get for free from the tap," he said.

Aptly, Rendell added that the state plans to bottle and sell Pennsylvania spring water.

"I think he was very good at just telling us how important we are," College senior and Philomathean Society Moderator Bryan Fields said of Rendell. "I mean, most people don't think about that."

A Penn sports fan, Rendell said he sometimes schedules meetings around basketball games. "If the game goes into overtime, then they're in trouble," he said.

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