Stories this week at WFU

Presidential Debate Can Affect Election

Wake Forest debate coach Allan Louden says history has proven a debate performance can affect a candidate’s chances of winning the presidency. Kennedy and Reagan got a boost from their debate appearances. For some voters, Sunday night’s face off between Clinton and Dole will be their only exposure to each candidate’s campaign, Louden says. In addition, media commentary before and after a debate helps shape opinion among voters, adds the communication professor.

College Students Debate the Debate

Wake Forest students participating in DebateWatch ’96 will watch the first debate between Clinton and Dole on a big screen on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. in Carswell Hall, Rooom 111. Following the debate, students will break into small groups and discuss the debates. Media interested in college students’ reaction to the debate are invited to attend.

Professor Predicts Slow Progress Toward Peace

Politicss professor David Weinstein predicts slow progress for the peace process in the Middle East. The Israeli government is much less flexible than the previous administration and is likely to slow down the peace process as much as possible, says Weinstein. Recent violence in Gaza may help refocus attention on finding solutions, but he expects more violence before much is settled.

Klezmer Band to Open Artists Series

Klezmer, a kind of Jewish soul music, will be performed at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, in Wait Chapel by the Klezmer Conservatory Band. Playing traditional Yiddish music that draws on folk themes from Russia, Poland and Germany, the band has a reputation for having the audience dancing in the aisles. Members of the band are available for brief interviews before the performance.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Events, Faculty, Student