Local talk show host, author and speaker Greg Knapp came to room 105 this morning to speak at a Political Science club meeting that was also open to other students.

Knapp hosts the Greg Knapp Experience, a show that airs on 103.7 FM from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Political Science club president and senior Nick Mauer said he asked Knapp to speak to the club to give attendees an educated perspective on current events and civil activism.

“[Knapp] is conservative, yes, but he doesn’t come off as radical,” Mauer said. “When he talks, he acknowledges another sides, which is the goal of the Political Science club: to acknowledge and accept other sides, and that is something I think Greg Knapp does very well.”

Mauer said he got into contact with Knapp after listening to Knapp’s radio show and emailing Knapp over the summer.

“[Knapp] was very pleased that there were kids who were thinking about current events,” Mauer said. “He said it was good to know that some students are getting engaged in what’s happening in our country.”

Knapp said he has spoken with community colleges and Boy Scout groups before, but had not spoken for high school students before today. He said his main goal was to get the members to understand the importance of being politically involved.

“It’s important to be part of the process,” Knapp said. “It’s your country, it’s your life and you have the choice of getting involved. If you look at most places around the world…billions of people still don’t really get to vote and decide what’s going to happen. We really have an unusual system where you get a say in it.”

Mauer said the goal of Political Science club is to educate people, specifically teenagers, about politics and help them become informed and develop their own beliefs. Knapp held a question and answer portion of his presentation, which Mauer hopes allowed students to ask questions on current events and issues.

Political Science club member and senior Sean Doyle attended Knapp’s presentation and said he really enjoyed it and thought Knapp was very informed.

“I thought he had a lot of information,” Doyle said. “He definitely was more on the conservative side, but he was also putting in things that were just sort of general…they were applicable to everything.”  

Knapp said he was impressed with the fact that there were students who wanted to get involved with politics, and that contributed to his agreeing to come speak with the club.

“The next generation needs to be more involved,” Knapp said. “This is your life, it’s going to be your future, so it’s very important to get involved. Obviously you can’t vote until you’re 18, but there’s a lot you can do before you’re 18 that can still help.”