Wake Forest faculty plan public debate-related events
In the days leading up to the presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 11 in Wait Chapel, Wake Forest University will sponsor two public events to address election issues.
The university’s political science department has organized a four-day “Conference on Debatable Issues in the Presidential Campaign” and Wake Forest’s School of Law has planned a “Presidential Election Symposium.”
Both events are free and open to the public.
The political science conference will feature 12 panel discussions on election issues on Oct. 3-6 at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“These are significant issues that need to be discussed by informed voters,” said Kathy Smith, professor and chair of the political science department. “We are hoping that this conference will stimulate the students and members of the community to be involved in policy discussions and motivate them to vote in the upcoming election.” Following is the schedule:
Oct. 3 “Framing Public Issues”
- 11 a.m. Politics of a Presidential Debate
- 3 p.m. Campaign Finance Reform
- 7 p.m. Taxes, Expenditures and the Surplus
Oct. 4 “Foreign Policy”
- 11 a.m. Foreign Policy Interventions
- 3 p.m. Weapons and National Security
- 7 p.m. Middle East Policy
Oct. 5 “Social Policy”
- 11 a.m. Civil Rights
- 3 p.m. Health Care and Social Security
- 7 p.m. Public Education
Oct. 6 “U.S. Politics in a Global Age”
- 11 a.m. Immigration
- 3 p.m. Technology and Telecommunications
- 7 p.m. World Trade and National Economic Policy
All sessions will be held in Benson University Center’s Pugh Auditorium with the exception of the Oct. 3 and Oct. 6 sessions at 7 p.m. They will be held in Carswell Hall’s Annenberg Forum. The discussions will be moderated by political science department faculty members and will feature guest experts who will address the various campaign issues. The format for discussions will vary with each subject. Some will feature individual speakers; others will include two speakers with opposing viewpoints or a panel of speakers.
Wake Forest’s political science classes are canceled during the conference, so that those students may attend the discussions.
Among the speakers will be Meredith McGehee, senior vice president and legislative director at Common Cause; Arthur Eisenberg, legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union and co-author of the book, “Rights of Candidates and Voters;” Jerry Hagstrom, prize-winning agricultural journalist and author of “Beyond Reagan: The New Landscape of American Politics;” Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research; and George Ziegelmueller, a nationally recognized collegiate debate coach and scholar.
Wake Forest’s School of Law will host a “Presidential Election Symposium” on Oct. 9 from 6-8 p.m. in the Worrell Professional Center, Room 1312. Journalist Jack Ford, co-anchor of ABC’s “20/20” and guest anchor on “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight,” will moderate the event.
Four nationally acclaimed experts on constitutional law will discuss campaign finance, how the election could shape the Supreme Court, and the legal aspects of other election issues. Speakers will be William Van Alstyne, William R. and Thomas S. Perkins Chair of Law at Duke University School of Law; A.E. Howard, White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs at the University of Virginia; Michael K. Curtis, professor of law at Wake Forest School of Law; and Akhil Reed Amar, Southmayd Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
“We hope their comments and discussion about legal issues related to elections will provide information to the community to make a better educated choice at election time,” said Robert K. Walsh, dean of the School of Law.
For the law school event, the public will need to park in Groves Stadium due to presidential debate preparations. To get to Groves Stadium from University Parkway, visitors should turn on Deacon Blvd., and then turn left into the parking area. A shuttle will provide transportation to the law school.
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