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Gary Klaukka
Vantaa, Finland

3/26/04: WASHINGTON, DC

C-SPAN has been a revolutionizing force in my life. Three years ago, at the age of 16, I watched sessions of the United States Congress live for the first time; I was mesmerized. To see American democracy in action from as far away as Finland felt surreal. It made me trust the democratic process and gave me a desire to learn more about it.

As I am currently doing national service in the Finnish Government, I have a unique opportunity to see how the civil service functions, albeit in a smaller, Scandinavian scale. This fall I will delve into the American government as I will start studying in the United Kingdom for a Bachelor�s degree in American Studies � a degree I hope might carry me to work close to the American democracy in the future.

The C-SPAN network has provided me with ultimate objectivity over American politics: seeing unabridged news conferences and other similar events has given me perspective I would otherwise lack. Staying up an entire night watching C-SPAN cover the 2002 midterm elections was an exhilarating experience and certainly one that gave me a tremendous amount of insight into political campaigns and elections in general.

All in all, without C-SPAN, I would not have received the spark of interest towards the American political process. Without it, I would not have opted to move to other countries to study the phenomenon of America and to seek a greater understanding into what makes the entire democratic process work.


ONLINE PRESS KIT >>

Contest Winners
Read the essays of the 25 contest winners.

Press Releases
Sep. 28, 2005 -- Winners Named in C-SPAN Viewer Essay Contest Marking 25 Years of Viewer Calls

Sep. 14, 2005 -- C-SPAN Marks 25 Years Of Viewer Calls-Ins With LIVE, 25-Hour Call-In Program On Oct. 7

Aug. 17, 2005 -- C-SPAN Marks 25 Years Of Viewer Calls-Ins With LIVE, 25-Hour Call-In Program On Oct. 7

News Articles
The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) - Oct. 10, 2005
Talkers Magazine - Cover Story Oct. 2005
Jewish World Review - Columnist David Brooks, Nov. 1999

History of Call-Ins on Radio and Television
A timeline of call-in programs

Evolution of Call-Ins on C-SPAN
A timeline of call-in programs at C-SPAN

More about C-SPAN's 25 Years of Viewer Call-Ins
Background information on C-SPAN call-in programs

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