Last night, the Great Issues Committee hosted political consultant Paul Begala at 7 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Busch Student Center.

Begala is a professor at Georgetown University and a commentator for the CNN show “The Situation Room” and was an adviser to former President Bill Clinton.

GIC invited Begala to analyze the 2008 presidential election and discuss what it will take to win the White House this year.

“This may be the most important election not just in my lifetime, but in your lifetime,” Begala said.

According to GIC President Steve Della Camera, approximately 250 students came out to hear Begala’s speech, which applied his political and academic expertise along with humorous insights.

“Begala was an exciting speaker, I think he really put things into perspective for students in attendance,” Della Camera said.

Begala spoke for about 45 minutes about issues in the election and how this election compares to past elections. He stressed the important of young-voter turnout because of the number of challenges facing the new generation.

“Young voters could have an impact on this election because of the issues they are facing and because of the appeal of the candidates,” Begal said.

Following the event was a reception in the next room with Begala. Guests could chat with him and ask questions they had about his speech.

How will college students’ votes impact this election?
It is a big unknown. If young people decide to participate in democracy, they could be the decisive factor. If they decide to stay home, it could be decisive as well.

How should students prepare for the election?
I think their lives are the best preparation; this generation is much less selfish than the generation when I was growing up. Your generation is much less selfish; you apply your values to your voting …