Four years ago, the presidential election saw an unprecedented turnout from college students. Is there a clear choice for young adults in 2012? What are the issues college students care about most, and how do President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney compare?
At 8 p.m. Oct. 24 (Wednesday) in the University of Notre Dame’s McKenna Hall Auditorium, students will gather to offer perspective on the 2012 presidential election. Two debaters, one from each the College Democrats and the College Republicans, will defend their respective candidates on the topic of which candidate will serve the best interests of students. The 90-minute debate format will be similar to the six-segment format used on the national circuit, and each segment will last approximately 15 minutes. Each representative will have the opportunity to present an opening and a closing statement. Subsequent responses to questions asked by the moderator will be based on research on what the candidates and parties have said about the issues. Scholastic magazine’s editor, Clara Ritger, will moderate, and the event will be aired live on NDTV, the student-run campus cable station.
Free refreshments will be provided. Seating will be first-come, first-served, and the hall will open at 7:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.
Leading up to the debate, Notre Dame students can vote in a mock presidential election sponsored by Scholastic magazine and NDTV. Students can cast their ballots in the LaFortune Student Center from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 24. The ballot box will move to McKenna Hall for the debate, where students can continue to vote until 10 p.m. All students must present a valid Notre Dame ID to be able to vote.
The results of the mock presidential election, and further coverage of the event and the Obama and Romney campaigns, can be found in the Nov. 1 issue of Scholastic. NDTV will also air a live election special on the night of the election, Nov. 6, in continuation of its coverage.
Contact: Clara Ritger, critger@nd.edu