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                         October 4, 2002

Cadets named CSOP fellows

Story and photos by Jim Fox
Sports Editor

U.S. Military Academy Cadets 1st Class Seth Johnston and Steven Hemmann earned plaudits at last April’s Center for the Study of the Presidency Spring Conference in Washington, D.C. As a result of their efforts, the two were named CSOP Fellows for 2002-2003.

As fellows they will attend two conferences in Washington, D.C., this academic year to meet with scholars and policy makers and discuss presidential politics and policy making, according to U.S. Military Academy associate professor Meena Bose, the USMA Social Science Department’s senior counselor with the Center. Bose serves as West Point’s adviser for cadets who participate in Center activities.

Johnston and Hemmann will each present a research paper at the Center’s spring conference on a presidency topic of their choice.

Bose said that for the past few years West Point has been one of only two or three institutions to have two CSOP fellows.

"Our cadets continue to set the standard for their peers in both academic preparation and for participation in CSOP events," Bose said.

USMA Dean of the Academic Board, Brig. Gen. Daniel J. Kaufman said, "This fellowship is a bid deal in Political Science circles."

Johnston and Hemmann will be in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 31 until Nov. 2 for the first conference. They will present their new research papers at a conference in March, 2003.

Hemmann said the fall conference would give them a chance to attend various guest lectures on the presidency and provide an opportunity to meet the other student fellows. During the time between conferences, he said, every fellow conducts a research project on a topic relating to the study of the presidency.

The 22-year-old International Relations major from St. Louis, Mo., said he "has always been fascinated with the office of the presidency. These conferences give me a chance to learn more about something that I’m naturally interested in."

The infantry officer hopeful and current Cadet Operations Officer for 2nd Regiment said he is excited to be given a chance to represent the academy.

Johnston, a 2002 Truman Scholar, explained that the CSOP Fellowship gives him an opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in political science.

"I hope to make a contribution to the field through the research I will present during my fellowship," said the 21-year-old double major in comparative politics and western European studies from Falls Church, Va.

"Involvement in an organization like CSOP is a rare opportunity for an undergraduate," Johnston said. "The fact that West Point is one of the only schools to consistently produce more than one CSOP fellow is a testament to the quality of education here."

Johnston won and was awarded $500 for his paper "President Bush and Support for the Gulf War: A Case Study of the Two Presidencies Thesis."

Hemmann placed fourth in the competition, winning $200 for his paper "Protectors of ‘The Last Best Hope on Earth’: The Presidential Leadership of George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln."