MEDIA ADVISORY: Vanderbilt University hosts events leading up to and day of Oct. 7 presidential debate

This Is What Women Want: A Pre-Debate Speakout
Vanderbilt’s Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center has teamed up with the Center for New Words…Where Women’s Words Matters for “This Is What Women Want,” a series of Web speak-outs and live speak-outs across the country focused on amplifying the voices of real women to the candidates and the media. The Center for New Words is hosting a speak-out in each debate city the evening before the debate. The Vanderbilt event is sponsored by the Gender Matters program of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center, Women’s and Gender Studies, Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center, the Office of Leadership Development and Intercultural Affairs, Vanderbilt Feminists and the Department of Anthropology. For more information on the national project, visit www.ThisIsWhatWomenWant.com. The event is open to the public.
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 6, 5 p.m.
LOCATION: University Club, located behind Branscomb Quad and the StudentLife Center on
Vanderbilt’s campus

Third party candidates debate at Vanderbilt

The Coalition for October Debate Alternatives (CODA) will host a debate open to all third party candidates for president as well as the major party nominees. The candidates who have confirmed attendance include Brad Lyttle of the U.S. Pacifist Party, Charles Jay of the Boston Tea Party, Gloria LaRiva of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Frank McEnulty of the New American Independent Party, Darrell Castle of the Constitution Party and Brian Moore of the Socialist Party. Bruce Barry, professor of sociology and professor of management at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt, will serve as the debate’s moderator. The event is open to the public.
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Room 4309, Stevenson Center on Vanderbilt’s campus

John Seigenthaler and Harold Ford Jr. lead discussion by national experts
Political scholars, journalists and pundits offer their informed perspective on where the 2008 presidential election is headed during a forum for students sponsored by Vanderbilt and the First Amendment Center. “The 2008 Presidential Election: Where We Stand and Where We Are
Headed” will be led by John Seigenthaler, founder of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt, and Harold Ford Jr., a visiting professor of political science at Vanderbilt and former congressman. The panelists will include:Mike Allen, chief political correspondent for Politico, who previously covered national
politics for Time and The Washington Post.
John Geer, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt and an expert on
campaigns, public opinion and negative ads. Geer wrote In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns, 1960-2004.
Howard Fineman, Newsweek’s senior Washington correspondent and columnist, senior
editor and deputy Washington bureau chief. He is also an NBC News analyst.
John Harwood, chief Washington correspondent of CNBC and a political writer for The
New York Times
.
Joe Klein, senior writer and columnist for Time and author of best-selling political novel
Primary Colors.
Richard Stengel, managing editor of Time.com and columnist for MSNBC.com. Seigenthaler, former publisher of The Tennessean, will serve as moderator for the forum.
Because of limited seating, the event is open only to Vanderbilt students.WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to noon
LOCATION: First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt

Debate viewing party
Vanderbilt will host a viewing party and faculty-led panel discussion of the Oct. 7 presidential debate. The faculty panelists are: Stephen Buckles, senior lecturer in economics
John English, senior lecturer in communication studies
Cynthia Paschal, associate professor of biomedical engineering
Vanessa Beasley, associate professor of communication studies East House, Vanderbilt Election Alliance and the Dean of the Commons are sponsoring the party and discussion. The event is open to the public.WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m.
LOCATION: Multipurpose Room, second floor of The Commons Center at Vanderbilt

Media Contact: Princine Lewis, (615) 322-NEWS
princine.lewis@vanderbilt.edu