"I could also talk about running for office," Herschensohn says, referring to his campaign for the Senate from his home state of California.
Fowler, who served in the House of Representatives from 1976-86 and in the U.S. Senate from 1986-92, and has held elected office for 26 years, says that he would like to share his interests in public service and government with students.
Fowler notes that he is still playing an active role in U.S. government. He currently serves on the President's Commission on the Roles and Responsibilities of the Intelligence Community, which is "re-evaluating the mission and responsibilities of the intelligence in the US," he says.
"I hope that I can help the mission of the Kennedy School and the IOP, which is to inspire a love of public service into students at the earliest possibility; I know that I will learn much from the fellows and students here," Fowler adds.
Many of the fellows say they hope to encourage students to become actively involved in the political process.
"I would have loved to have had a program like this [in college], because politics touches everybody, and even if you have no interest in running for public office, there are so many other ways to get involved and to control the outcome in certain situations," Rogers says.
It is an opportunity "that they [students] may never get again in life, to just walk in the doorway and talk to someone whose an expert," Herschensohn says.
In fact, encouraging undergraduate students to benefit from and make use of the fellows program is one of the primary goals of the IOP, according to Donovan.
Learning from Each Other
The IOP Fellows this semester say that they especially look forward to the chance they will have to spend time as members of the Harvard community.
"It's a marvelous opportunity, I think, for the students, and also for the fellows themselves," says Herschensohn.
Herschensohn also adds that he feels a semester spent with students could help to broaden a politician's view of the world.
"Sometimes you lose perspective," he says. "You get so lost in the things that you are doing on a day to day basis that you don't see them in context with other generations, and the bigger picture."