Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois’ fifth congressional district gave Parker a warm welcome during his Morning Ex on Wednesday, October 12. Dressed in a gray fleece and black pants, Quigley went from jokes to serious concerns about the world during his presentation. The 2016 presidential election, the elephant in every political room, was a key topic during Quigley’s visit. Quigley said that the rhetoric and behavior from this election have had a “dehumanizing aspect.” Quigley is currently up for re-election.

Quigley has been a representative for Illinois since 2009. Quigley is a democrat and is in charge of Illinois’s fifth congressional district. His position in Congress is the former seat of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The fifth congressional district district is made up of mostly Chicago’s  north side neighborhoods Lakeview, Uptown, and Rogers Park. Quigley’s mainly focuses on environmental issues and LGBT rights.

Morning Ex Committee member Charlie Moog came up with the idea to reach out to Quigley. “I recently spoke with his assistant,” Moog said.  Moog’s mother, Lucy Moog, is committeeman of the 43rd Ward and provided the connection to Quigley.  

As a democrat, Quigley was a delegate for Hillary Clinton who attended the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. During the Morning Ex, Quigley defended the scandals surrounding her deleted emails. “I’ve read the emails,” Quigley said. “Nothing that should bother you at all are in those emails.”

Quigley came down hard on those considering voting for a third party candidate or choosing not to vote in the 2016 Presidential election. Quigley said, “There is absolutely no excuse not to vote.”

Upper school history teacher Jeanne Barr said,“I’m suspicious of anybody who says don’t vote for a third party candidate.”

Quigley shared stories about being on the Stephen Colbert show and flying on a helicopter with President Obama. After a recent event, President Obama asked if he needed a ride downtown.

Former CIA employee Edward Snowden was also a talking point during the presentation.  A former government agent turned whistleblower, Snowden leaked classified U.S. documents and has created much controversy in the US. Quigley said, “Snowden wasn’t a hero.”

Senior Jordan Merrick asked Quigley about his stance on Snowden. “I liked and agreed with the answer,” Merrick said. “Most of my family and people I know think he is a hero, and I disagree with that.”

Barr also disagreed with Quigley’s representation of Snowden. Describing his viewpoint as “un-democratic,” Barr said, “He was really over the top on Snowden in terms of one man’s opinion.”

Quigley encouraged the student body to participate in politics, and pursue what makes them happy. “It’s not about getting good grades,” Quigley said, “it’s about being a better person.” Although the auditorium was half empty due to Yom Kippur, nearly the entire audience clapped in response to this.

Quigley also discussed some of his more recent political actions. On October 4, he and fellow U.S. Representative Mike Thompson sent a letter to Congress. Quigley and Thompson, together with 46 other Democrats, wrote to get the Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), to publish updated statistics on gun violence. According to Quigley, the last statistical update was made in 2000.

Just a few days earlier on October 1, Quigley tweeted in support of LGBT History Month. On September 17, he tweeted, “My staff & I enjoyed #tacotrucksoneverycorner this weekend.”

While holding his cellphone over his head and waving it back and forth at the M.X., Quigley addressed some issues regarding technology and social media’s impact on human relations. “Your friend count isn’t nearly as important as friends you can count on,” Quigley said. “Look up and enjoy life and engage with people.” He did acknowledge the benefits of the smart phone, saying “It’s an extraordinary device.”

But Quigley warned of “Internet bias” that plays a role in the formation of people’s opinions and even choices of President. “People are getting less information from sources they don’t agree with,” Quigley said.

He then referenced “To Kill a Mockingbird”, a book taught in Parker’s sixth grade curriculum, paraphrasing a quote from a main character in the book, Atticus Finch. “If you want to understand people, you got to walk around in their skin for a while.”