Amongst the backdrop of the dimly lit Vegas Bar and Lounge, Ted Shelegy of the Green Party munched on a pretzel and conversed at ease with a number of curious journalism students. The moment we met him, he shook our hands and made himself comfortable in our crowd of inquisitive, information-hungry journalism students. He was engaging and full of warmth--never failing to answer every question genuinely and thoroughly. It was this gregarious nature and his welcoming smile that automatically drew me to him. I was impressed with how calmly he answered our questions and how he never once seemed bored or impatient. I also felt extremely grateful to be in the presence of such a humble and sincere individual who made time for us despite his busy schedule. He really made us feel like we were worth his while.
Although Shelegy has a copious number of excellent qualities, the attribute I found to be most endearing was his fantastic sense of humour. He wasn't the least bit intimidating and did not feel the need to exercise his authority over us. Instead, he cracked jokes about his son's drinking and how his political aspirations included winning the Lotto 6/49 so he could “truly retire.” Even with his colleagues and companions, he was always smiling and seemed in high spirits throughout the entire night. In short, he made it very easy for us to interact with him and to get to know him on a more personal level.
Overall, I would definitely say that I enjoyed my time with Shelegy at the Vegas. Not only was he personable and kind, but I learned a great deal about the Green Party and its core beliefs and policies. He helped me to see issues and politics in a different light, which will undoubtedly influence my decisions in the future. For example, I now understand the drastic measures we need to take in order to better treat our environment. If we start making changes now, we can begin to ensure a safer and healthier future for our children and grand-children. My conversation with Shelegy really hit home the severity of the issues at hand since his opinions were both thought-provoking and eye-opening. It may sound terribly clichéd, but I feel more inspired to start making changes in my life and treating the world we live in with more respect.
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