Subject: Invitation to the Yale Political Union
From: Angelina Xing <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 20:18:17 -0400

Dear Mr. Podesta,

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Lina Xing and I am Vice
President of the Yale Political Union. The YPU is currently in the process
of inviting guest speakers for the Fall Semester of 2015, and we are very
excited to invite you to headline one of our debates. In particular, we
would be excited for you to lead
our Fall Organizational Debate on September 8th, 2015.

The Yale Political Union is the oldest undergraduate political society in
the country and the largest student organization at Yale. Every week, we
hold a parliamentary debate where a guest helps bring an intellectual focus
and a unique perspective to our debates on a topic related to his or her
experience and intellectual work. Throughout our history, we have hosted
numerous national and international thinkers and political figures on our
floor. In the past three years alone, we have debated with guests as
diverse as Governor Howard Dean, Senator Rick Santorum, and Gayatri
Spivak. Given your myriad work in climate change policy, global
development, and law and technology, among other fields, we believe you
would bring a particularly versatile perspective to a debate.

The attached formal invitation contains a more thorough introduction to our
organization, and our interest in hosting you. But to give you a brief
summary of what the event will entail, here are some important details:

*Date:* We are particularly interested in the possibility of hosting Mr.
Podesta on *September 8th, 2015* for our Organizational Debate of
the Fall semester. However, we are also open to the possibility of moving
this date forward or backward by a day. In general, our schedule is
flexible, and we would be more than happy to accommodate yours however we
can.

*Time:* On the day of the debate, guests are invited to pre-debate dinner
at 5:30 PM. The debate starts at *7:30 PM *and usually ends around 9:30 or
10 PM (depending on the level of energy).

*Format:* The guest opens with a speech advocating one side of
a debate resolution, usually ranging 20-25 minutes in duration. This speech
is typically followed by a round of questions. Students then give speeches,
alternating between sides also with a brief questioning period. After about
an hour and half, the debate comes to close and the guest gives closing
remarks before a vote is taken on the resolution.

*Parliamentary Format: *Our goal is to encourage debate and discussion on
important and controversial political topics. The Union follows
parliamentary procedure, with our Speaker directing the course of the
debate. We believe parliamentary format particularly encourages students to
be responsive to each other’s arguments in a challenging, but
non-adversarial way. Guests should also note that our format is lively and
engaging, with students pounding and hissing to indicate their feelings
toward each speech.Our guests often enjoy how lively the debates can get!

*Logistics:* We are generally able to provide for any accommodations,
travel costs, and incidental costs during the guest's visit to Yale,
including any meals.

Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions, please don't
hesitate to send me an email at *a
<[email-masked]>[email-masked] <[email-masked]> *or
call me at (914) 355-1148. We look forward to the possibility of you
joining us, and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Best wishes,

Lina Xing

Vice President, Yale Political Union

( <%28502%29410-9133>914) 355-1148

*a <[email-masked]>[email-masked]
<[email-masked]>*