|
||||
  
 
 |
Student debate clarifies issues and candidates By
Natalie Larson
College students have some of the lowest voting turnouts among voter demographics, according to the mediator, Ross Peterson, a former history professor at Utah State. To help students become better informed, STAB held a party debate on Oct. 26 in the Hub among Jim Stevenson from the College Republicans, Steve McDonald from the Democrats and Jim Snikes from the Green Party. The debate was chiefly centered on issues pertaining to students. Questions included issues about the education system, tuition increases, student participation in voting, environmental policies, the proposed Legacy Highway, gas prices, foreign policy in the Middle East and Internet censorship. Stevenson said, we are at a crossroads at this election. The elected president will be able to appoint three to four new justices. They could have a huge impact on the future of Social Security, Medicare and many other issues. The process is so large now, it is difficult to bring it home, McDonald said. Students, you need to look at politics and make it pertinent to yourselves. Snikes said candidates need to have clean money campaigns to increase student interest. He said there needs to be a level playing field for the candidates. We don't have a lot in common with them, Snikes said. We aren't multi-millionaires. Stevenson said that candidates need to be honest and straightforward as they campaign and make policy. This would hopefully reduce the cynicism that students feel about politics, he said. George W. Bush is able to reach across the isle and include everyone in the decision making process, Stevenson said. Gore is extremely partisan he said, and he doesn't understand that a compromise is not a terrible thing. McDonald said, Vote Al Gore. He will help out college students in many ways. I want to make our country greater than it is now, which is pretty darn great. According to McDonald, Gore will help the middle class. Snikes said Bush is an oil corporation disguised as a man, and he agreed that Gore doesn't compromise well. Ralph Nader would never do anything like that, Snikes said. We are the only party that has an agenda to aggressively grapple with the problems we are facing. He has a long-term view as opposed to the four to eight year view. When addressing gas prices, Snikes said Bush plans to drill for oil in Alaska to help reduce prices. Stevenson said this would improve our productivity and give us a bargaining chip. All of the debaters agreed that the education system is lacking for both students and teachers. McDonald said if the administration is going to increase tuition, they also need to increase the accessibility of loans and grants to students. Stevenson said there should be an accountability program for teachers. He quoted Al Gore, who said, It's time we start treating teachers like the rest of the professionals out there. Snikes said, Education is one of the greatest investments into the future. As such, he said society should pay more for education as part of their investment in their future. Another debate will be from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Hub.
|
Archived Months:
January
1999 January
2000 |
||