With just one month remaining in her husband's campaign for gubernatorial re-election, Pennsylvania's first lady Marjorie Rendell spoke to a small audience in Schwab Auditorium last night at 7 P.M regarding today's youth and civic responsibility.

The Schreyer Honors College sponsored the lecture, titled "Importance of Civic Responsibility in a Global Community."

She focused on advocating education reform that incorporates what she called "the five R's -- reading, writing, arithmetic, civic rights and responsibilities."

She said today's students are aware enough to worry about terrorism, the ozone layer, AIDS and racism but they have only heard about them in an abbreviated manner and without much discourse.

"Our schools need to be an incubator for critical thinking and active civic participation," she said.

Rendell said educators must integrate civic knowledge into the content of current curriculums because the No Child Left Behind Act has created an environment in which the subjects that are tested are the only ones being taught.

"Maybe for a reading lesson, the content is not see Dick and Jane run and instead it is about a naturalization ceremony," she said. "I think we can do it but it requires a little bit of being creative."

Rendell avoided answering controversial political questions about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's recent remarks about Guantanamo Bay prisoners and criticisms of United States President George Bush.

She did, however, respond to questions about the modern media.

"Reporting has become more like editorial commentary," she said. "There are not many papers around the world where you can just get the facts and make your own decisions."

When asked about agenda pushing among the nation's judges, Rendell affirmed her confidence in judges and their intentions.

"Very often, when people do not like the result of a case, they will say it is activist," she told the audience of about 50. "But the concept of agendas is much less than people think."

Communication Arts and Sciences Professor Lori Bedell said the event did a good job of wrapping up a week of civic engagement luncheons and events that were partly sponsored by her department.

"It encapsulated the goal, which was raising awareness of the importance of civic engagement and getting young people involved," she said. "We have to teach them how to be a part of a democracy."

Some students questioned Rendell's motives behind giving a speech so close to Election Day.

"It is true that civics are an under-appreciated part of society," Matt Knuttel (junior-political science and English) said. "But she might be trying to buy votes from the Penn State population for her husband."

Jason Ranville (graduate - health policy and administration) said he didn't think the speech seemed too political.

"She went out of her way not to introduce political bias," he said.

Members of Penn State's newest voter registration organization, Represent, were helping attendees fill out voter registration forms outside of the auditorium and inside the lobby.

"Her speech corresponds well with our goal," Meredith Isaacs (senior - political science) said. "We registered about ten voters tonight."