NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ Before Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic
vice presidential nominee John Edwards square off next week in their
only nationally televised debate, a delegation of Vanderbilt students
will join peers from 14 other prominent universities for a mock
political convention and debate at the same site.
Case Western Reserve University will host the vice presidential debate
Oct. 5, and the weekend prior, more than 60 students from across the
country will convene on the school’s Cleveland, Ohio, campus to "engage
in democracy and experience the election and debate process in a
unique, hands-on fashion," said Edward M. Hundert, president of Case,
in a news release.
Vanderbilt is being represented by seniors Erin Brown, Susan Mader and
Alex Kwak, who join students from Stanford, MIT, Duke, Cornell, Johns
Hopkins, Emory, the University of Miami, the University of Florida,
Washington University in St. Louis, Carnegie Mellon, the University of
Rochester, Fisk and Ohio State.
"I think this event will be one of the most educational opportunities
for these students during their college careers," said M.L. Sandoz,
senior lecturer in communication studies, who will act as faculty
adviser to the Vanderbilt delegation. "The ‘Race at Case’ will not only
expose them to an in-depth view of our political process, but will also
provide programs that will help the students understand our most
pressing social issues with more insight."
Each university will function as a state at a national political
convention. The students will create signs, banners, buttons and other
campaign materials in support of their schools at simulated Democratic
and Republican conventions held on Saturday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 3.
As the students divide into political parties, create their own
platforms and organize their conventions, they will elect four students
from each party to participate in the final student debate Monday
evening, Oct. 4. The debate will focus on the economy, national
security, social issues and domestic policy.
Though this presidential race is one of the most contentious in recent
memory, promising to bring young voters to the polls in record numbers,
Vanderbilt’s Erin Brown sees the Case event as meaningful regardless of
the current political climate. "I feel that it’s important for
university students to participate in politics, regardless of whether
or not it’s an election year, because the policies being debated and
discussed now are the policies that will affect our adult years.
"All current university students will graduate under this
president-elect and thus his decisions on economic, domestic and
foreign policies will greatly influence the world outside of our
respective campuses. If we don’t make our voices heard, then we cannot
help to shape our future," said Brown.
Monday evening’s debate will be webcast live starting at 6 p.m. CDT. The webcast can be viewed by accessing http://www.case.edu/vpdebate/content/programs_video.htm.
Media contact: Kara Furlong, (615) 322-NEWS
kara.c.furlong@vanderbilt.edu