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Shimkus addresses student leaders from Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam

BY SCOTT FITZGERALD, THE SOUTHERN

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 1:18 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - Van Anh, 24, of Hanoi, Vietnam, asked a question Monday that was not just food for thought for U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville.

It also caused others at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Faner Hall to wonder.

"How do you keep areas that have substantially survived on a single crop from being displaced by globalization?" Anh asked.

Shimkus answered by speaking about some of this county's tax policies involved with trade agreements.

Shimkus said he favors the practice of free trade, although many of his constituents do not, such as Caterpillar in Decatur.

"There will be hot issues that come to the floor. A good example is free trade. I believe in it. However, organized labor does not," Shimkus said.

The spirited exchange between Shimkus, who is serving in his 12th year in Congress, and Anh, who just graduated from Hanoi University, was part of the U.S. Department of State's Summer Institute for Undergraduate Student Leaders.

This is the 12th year SIUC has hosted the state department program.

This year's participants are 19 students from Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

"This has been a good group. You can see the school teacher in him," David Kenney, a professor of political science at SIUC, said about Shimkus' demeanor. Kenney helps his political science professor colleagues John Foster and John Jackson host the program each year.

After his presentation, Shimkus said he has enjoyed the experience of coming here since 2005 to address future leaders.

"They are interested in our political system. We come here as a guest of the university," Shimkus said.

The group arrived at the end of June and has participated in fun leisure activities in Southern Illinois in addition to seeing and learning how the wheels of American government work.

They leave today for Springfield and eventually to Washington, where they will join other groups that have been located at six other universities.

scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com / 351-5076