UT’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy announced the new Washington Program with the help of Senator Lamar Alexander Wednesday afternoon.

Alexander commended the new program and its work toward continuing the work and passion of Senator Howard H. Baker Jr., whom the Baker Center is named for.

“Howard Baker inspired three generations of political leaders and now this institute will help inspire many more generations and leaders,” Alexander said.

The two-week intensive trip to Washington D.C. provides participants with an opportunity to learn about public policy issues and meet legislators, senators and journalists involved in pressing issues.

“I think any student that has interest in the media, public policy, politics… (this is) a great opportunity for them to have an immersive experience in our nation’s capital,” Baker Center director Matt Murray said.

Murray said the 15 students from multiple majors and disciplines attending will help the program be a unique and personal experience for attendees.

“If we have dozens of students, it makes it very difficult for the experience to be personal,” Murray said. “We are looking at a situation where…they’re going to sit at a boardroom table or an office space and they are going to be able to look right across the table at a leading policy maker, an elected official or someone like that.”

Junior studying journalism and political science Savanna Jacoby said she applied to educate herself on different aspects of the media.

“You kinda learn a little bit of the policy side but also learning the press side of things,” Jacoby said. “That’s why I applied, to get a little taste of both.”

Jacoby mentioned the importance of the program and the opportunity for participants to learn more about themselves.

“I am imagining it will be long hours and…figuring out where we all want to go,” Jacoby said. “I’m hoping this is going to be a guiding side for a lot of us, trying to figure out what to do for our careers, for a lot of people who are stuck in what they wanna do, politics or journalism.”

Alexander also met with new Baker Center board members earlier in the day and challenged them to push forward.

“I’m very proud of what the University of Tennessee has done. Chancellor Davenport, I congratulate you and Matt for assembling this tremendous board,” Alexander said. “I can not think of an institute of public policy that has a stronger board.”

After the announcement of the program and the new board members, Alexander answered questions from the audience regarding the current political climate.

Alexander addressed using military forces as security at the border wall proposed by President Donald Trump.

“We have constitutional conditions that actually limit the ability of using the military for that purpose,” Alexander said. “What President Bush did in certain instances is use the national guard along the southern border to relieve pressure so that the customs officers and boarder control agents could spend more time off border.”

Recent bills passed by Senate enforce stronger background checks to be more effective and give schools more funding for security measures on campuses. Alexander discussed a legislation he has began that would allows states to use more federal funding to hire suitable counselors.

“The average number of counselors per student in the country today is 450 students per every counselor,” Alexander said. “We need to lower that so that counselors can identify students who might be troubled and who might be dangerous to other students.”

Students will leave for the Washington Program on May 13 and return May 26.