A series of election-related events will unfold at WCU this week as students return to classes from fall break. Each event will be free and open to the public.
Students mind a voter registration booth outside the UC on September 25. Photo by Jamie North.
The third debate between incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney will be broadcast live 8:30-10:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22 in the A.K. Hinds University Center Theater.
The debate will cover foreign policy with moderator Bob Schieffer, the host of “Face the Nation” on CBS who previously moderated the final debates in the past three presidential elections.
The two candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina’s westernmost 11th Congressional District, Mark Meadows and Hayden Rogers, will engage in a live debate in the UC Grand Room on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
Meadows is a Republican, businessman and entrepreneur. Rogers is a Democrat who served as chief of staff to current Rep. Heath Shuler in the 11th District.
Russ Bowen, news anchor and reporter for Asheville’s WLOS-TV and WMYA (My40) television stations, will act as moderator. The debate between Rogers and Meadows will be hosted by WCU’s Public Policy Institute and Department of Political Science and Public Affairs.
Seating for the event is limited. Anyone interested in reserving a seat should email the Public Policy Institute at ppi@email.wcu.edu by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22. All seats left open ten minutes prior to the debate will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis, so ticket-holders should arrive by 6:50 p.m. Tuesday.
Wednesday, Oct. 24 will feature a lecture by writer Paul Loeb at 6 p.m. in the UC Theater.
Loeb has spent more than 30 years researching citizen responsibility and empowerment. He is the author of the books “Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time” and “The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear.”
Loeb recently co-authored the essay “My Vote Doesn’t Matter” with Alexander Astin and Parker J. Palmer.
Finally, there will be a voter education information forum on Thursday, October 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Residence Hall multipurpose room.
Editor’s note: Information in this article comes from the WCU press office.
