Debate-A-Palooza taps into University’s mission
The 2000 presidential election occurred during my first semester at USI. I can remember trying to encourage students to vote, only to be told that their vote didn’t make a difference. I responded by giving numerous examples of how one vote mattered:
- In 1645 one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England
- In 1776 one vote gave America the English language instead of German
- In 1845 one vote brought Texas into the Union
- In 1876 an Indiana congressman (who had been elected by a one-vote margin) cast the winning vote for Rutherford B. Hayes when that year’s Presidential election was thrown into the House
- In 1923 Adolf Hitler became leader of the Nazi Party by one vote
- In 1960 John F. Kennedy’s margin of victory over Richard Nixon was less than one vote per precinct
Still, I generated little student interest as most in my classes said they probably wouldn’t show up at the polls. The next day, though, I had one of those almost perfect learning moments when students came back to class with questions and comments and proof that votes do matter. The 2000 election still sparks conversation and debate with references to hanging chads and recount battles.
In 2004, people seemed more interested in the election, perhaps if only to see if new procedures would prevent a repeat of 2000. USI became more aware of the need to encourage students to become citizens active in public life, so the University initiated a voter registration drive. A joint effort by students, faculty, administrators, and staff succeeded by registering nearly 1,000 voters and caused voter registration to be incorporated in to new student orientation.
For the 2008 election, the University is going a step farther. Recognizing that democracy works not just by voting, the University is providing an additional way for people to get involved in the political process. In an era of a widening partisan divide and public disenchantment with politics and political leaders, we have created an opportunity to come together and learn how the political system works and what our candidates represent. Debate-A-Palooza is a nonpartisan voter education program that brings citizens together to watch a televised debate and talk about what they learned. As part of a national DebateWatch program sponsored by the Commission for Presidential Debates and the National Communication Association, Debate-A-Palooza taps into the University’s mission to create better-informed citizens who live wisely and are responsive to community needs. Debate-A-Palooza serves to assemble people for public conversation, and help us think of ourselves as united in voice rather than alienated and disenchanted.
Debate-A-Palooza will be held on Friday, September 26, on the USI Quad (the Health Professions Center if rains). The event begins at 6 p.m. with music by Deaf Megan. From 6-7.30 p.m. students in the Communication Club and Communication Studies Program will register people for the event and distribute food tickets. Although the event is free and open to the public, registration is necessary to create the small discussion groups for the post-debate activity. The televised debate will be shown on super-sized screens from 8 to 9.30 p.m. After the debate, student facilitators will lead a short discussion about the debate and the event. The event is sponsored by the Communication Club and APB with support from Academic Affairs, the RISC Grant Program, University Core Curriculum, and the USI Bookstore.
POST CONTRIBUTED BY: LEIGH ANNE HOWARD, associate professor and coordinator of Communication Studies