Pa. lawmakers propose moving presidential primary even earlier

Hoping to capture a larger share of the national political spotlight, some state lawmakers are proposing moving Pennsylvania’s primary earlier in the calendar in time for next year’s presidential nominating contests.

State Rep. Keith J. Greiner, RLancaster, is the prime sponsor of a measure that would shift the 2016 nominating contest to the third week of March, a time when, he hopes, the GOP nomination would still be in play, investing added importance in the Pennsylvania vote.

Pennsylvania already shifts its primary in presidential years, from mid-May to the fourth Tuesday in April. But Mr. Greiner and others argue that in most years, that more modest shift would still weaken the voice of Pennsylvania voters in the nominating process.

The proposal revisits a familiar debate in Pennsylvania politics. Citing similar reasons, former Gov. Ed Rendell once advocated moving the primary date forward, but the Legislature didn’t show much interest in the plan. As events unfolded in 2008, Pennsylvania did end up having its moment in the political sun. No one planned it that way, but the coincidences of that year’s primary calendar combined with the protracted Democratic battle between future President Barack Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to give the Keystone State roughly six weeks of national attention undiluted by other states’ contests.

That was the exception, as in most years in recent history both major-party nominations have been decided by the time Pennsylvanians go to the polls.

“I have bipartisan support for this already,” Mr. Greiner said. “I think I have more Democrats supporting this than Republicans

At the end of the game, there are two outcomes. Then, the drawings of Luke and Natalie, who are the focus of the story, come to life — played by CMU students — so they can talk about how they felt about the bystander’s actions.

All of which makes good fodder for discussion.

The game was made in a class called “Morality Play: Laboratory for Interactive Media and Values Education,” offered by the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Entertainment Technology Center.

A previous class looked at income inequality, and another one looked at privacy and government surveillance.

This time, the two instructors who co-taught the course — assistant teaching professor Ralph Vituccio of the Entertainment Technology Center and special faculty member Andy Norman of the philosophy department — chose sexual assault as the topic for the most recent term.

“One of the really important research findings we built this game on was one that basically indicates that you can actually change cultures in ways that reduce incidents of

"It starts with people’s willingness — sometimes a small, sometimes a greater social risk — in calling people out on their behavior."

Andy Norman, CMU philosophy department sexual assaults. It starts with people’s willingness — sometimes a small, sometimes a greater social risk — in calling people out on their behavior,” said Mr. Norman.

Graduate student Stephanie Fawaz, who was a coproducer of the game, said she wanted to help make something students would take seriously. “I think a lot of existing applications, particularly geared toward college students, aren’t taken very seriously.”

She believes the game resonates with players “because the production very much literally places you in a position where your actions are causing or not causing a thing to happen and, at the end of the experience,