“Discourse...discourse is the heart of the matter”

I was a government major back in the mid-80s, when Ronald Reagan was President, Tip O’Neill was Speaker of the House, and one didn’t really care who was majority in the Senate. Democrats and Republicans still worked together in Washington, though the touch of the Christian Right was starting to fray that relationship.

In spring 1985, I took Professor Lowi’s Government 101 -- Intro to American Government. I was and am an avid history buff, with a mind for the trivial...even so, Professor Lowi was a revelation. His booming voice ringing through Bailey Auditorium, describing the workings and [offering] analysis of American political life provided a virtual “highlights reel” and challenged me to think more critically about our institutions and their importance.  

Most importantly, he reminded us of the most important implied institution: “Discourse...discourse is the heart of the matter.”

I never cease to recall that statement -- it was Professor Lowi’s call to discuss, debate, deliberate and determine as a group, as a city, as a country [our] direction, and the reminder that when the discourse stops, so does the American experiment.

I work daily to keep that discourse alive -- in my job, in my home, in my community.  Professor Lowi provided a touchstone that stands in my ethos along with the lessons my grandmother taught me through taking me along when she paid bills, voted in every local, state and national election, and visited the homebound.

Thank you for sharing Professor Lowi with us.

Lisa M. Sotir Ozkan

Cornell Class of 1988 and

General Counsel, National Education Association’s Member Benefits Corporation