Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is sponsoring a student political forum and debate in the Jefferson Davis Campus Fine Arts Auditorium on Wed., Oct. 8 from noon-1 p.m. The program will be moderated by WLOX’s on-air anchor, Rebecca Powers.
Part I will consist of a forum with students participating in a Lincoln-Douglas style debate based on the political ideology of each party. Each team of debaters will have five minutes to explain the general political ideology of their respective parties. Each team will have an opportunity for a two-minute rebuttal of their opponents’ statements.
Part II is the actual debate in which students from the College Democrats and Young Republicans will represent the platforms of their respective political parties. Teams will take turns answering questions first. Each team will have 90 seconds to respond to the questions with no rebuttals. Each team will then have two minutes for closing statements.
“Our civic duty, as Americans, is to educate and inform our fellow citizens of the issues facing this great country of ours,” Serge Huidobro of Gulfport, a member of the College Democrats said. “We encourage them to wake up early, take time off from work, whatever it takes, to exercise their God-given right to vote this Nov. 4, no matter who their voting for.”
Robert Deming, a member of the Young Republicans, added, “Our voice is our vote, and not in any other moment in our history has it been more important for us to think before we speak.”
For more information about the forum/debate, contact Brian Carriere, 228-897-3802, or LeeAnn Gunn-Rasmussen, 228-897-3798, in the Jefferson Davis Campus social studies department.
