Congressman Harold Ford Jr., campaigning for a seat in the U.S. Senate next year, visited campus Wednesday to talk to TTU political science students about his thoughts on what he called some of the most important political issues in the U.S. today.

U.S. Reps. Lincoln Davis, left, and Harold Ford, center, meet with President Bell Wednesday.

He and U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, a TTU agriculture graduate, also met with campus executive officers in the Dean's Council, where Ford previewed his remarks to students.

His talk focused on three main points: balancing the U.S. budget, developing renewable or alternative energy sources, and improving the nation's workforce through education.

"My message for students is simple," Ford said. "Do the hard stuff." He encouraged students to add two things to their education, regardless of their majors: learn a foreign language, and take the most challenging math and science classes available. "Because we won't be able to compete if we can't understand the world around us," he said.

Students and administrators gather with Ford following his remarks to students Wednesday. From left: student Josh Martin; Lori Maxwell, associate professor of Political Science; Ford; and Julie Galloway, director of Basic Business.

Ford talked about the need for America and its youth to reinvigorate the country's leadership in the fields of science, technology, math and engineering. He also stressed the importance of supporting the development of energy sources to decrease the country's dependence on foreign oil.

TTU is already addressing those issues with efforts of its own. A campaign to raise money for a planned Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Center on campus has already begun, and several TTU faculty members are researching ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of fuel cells as energy sources.