Contributors
Kimberly Clairmont is a double major studying political science with a concentration in law and politics as well as speech communication at Oregon State University. She is also an honors student, and her thesis, titled “The Women of the Court: Gender Shaping the U.S. Senate Confirmation Hearing Process”, was defended in May of 2021. She graduates winter term of 2023. She also participated in the American Politics Research Group conducting original political science research under the mentorship of Professors Rorie Solberg and Christopher Stout. After graduation, Ms. Clairmont plans to attend law school in Oregon and hopes to practice criminal law as a prosecutor for the State of Oregon, perhaps in the Portland Metro area.
Ethan Derstine is a 2023 graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in political science. During his senior year, he was part of the American Politics Research Group, contributing to projects regarding the dissemination of court decisions to local law enforcement and prosecutors and the effect of identity on US House Representatives’ tendency to speak out about hate crimes. He is currently evaluating career opportunities in the Portland (OR) area and would eventually like to attend law school.
Alexandria Metzdorf is a transgender alum of OSU with two BS degrees in economics and political science, and she plans to attend law school in 2024. She wants to help other trans people overcome unique challenges presented by the US legal system, breaking down barriers and shattering glass ceilings, with a particular focus on housing and discrimination. During COVID, she distributed $250,000 in funding to families in need of rent relief through the OERAP program in Oregon, and through her continued work at NeighborImpact has disbursed another $450,000 to over 200 households so far in 2023. In her spare time, Alexandria enjoys taking care of her extensive aroid collection, mixing her own tea blends, making hot sauce from home grown peppers, watching esoteric narrative and documentary films, and listening to vinyl records.
Stella Kemp is a 2023 graduate of Oregon State University and majored in Psychology.
Gabriel Thomison is a political science major with a law and politics option at Oregon State University, graduating in June of 2024. After graduation, Gabriel plans on attending the US Navy’s Officer Candidate School. He hopes to either attend law school or pursue a master’s degree in international affairs after military service.
Eduardo “Eddie” Vidal is a Political Science Major at Oregon State University with a focus in Law and Politics. During his studies at OSU, he was given the opportunity by his professor, Dr. Rorie Solberg, to contribute to this textbook. At the University of Oregon, Eddie has worked in an undergraduate research group on a project analyzing how American Politicians advertise to the Latin American Community through Spanish language press releases. He is planning to finish his degree in the Spring of 2024 and is currently applying for graduate studies for the Fall.
Walter DePuy is a valued contributor, and we appreciate their work throughout the publication of Government Powers and Limitations.
