Co-Curricular Award
Georgia College & State University
A student/faculty/staff collaboration initiated by the Georgia College & State University American Democracy Project and co-sponsored by the College Republicans, Young Democrats, Moderate Student Political Movement, Georgia League of Women Voters, Government & Sociology Department and the Coverdell Institute produced a Candidate Forum feauturing the incumbent, Representative John Barrow (D-GA) and his challenger Former Representative Max Burns (R-GA) on August 28, 2006. The University community is located in a new district resulting from a successful Georgia legislature redistricting effort in 2004. The forum, the first of three scheduled election season debates, marked the first time in GeorgiaCollege history that candidates for federal office participated in a campaign appearance and debate.
Student political organization representatives not only assisted in the planning logistics but served on the panel that posed questions to the candidates. The debate moderator, Randall Savage from WMAZ Macon, and the news editor of Milledgeville's Union Recorder, Bobby Matthews joined the student panelists, Jason White, Emily Currington, and Will Thompson. The Georgia League of Women Voters provided event consultation and staffed a voter registration table at the early-semester event.
The event outcomes exceeded expections. State-wide media coverage included the Macon 13WMAZ station and the Associated Press - photographer and reporter - in addition to local media. The AP debate article was picked up by several dozen Georgia newspapers. Over 300 students and community members attended the event. Only ten days into the semester, the debate was scheduled to correspond to the August Congressional recess. Students had the opportunity to see and hear the candidates - the debate included the opportunity for each candidate to question each other, and have audience questions posed by the panelists in addition to their own questions - and become informed citizens. The event also served to launch the GCSU ADP Young Voter Strategies project, a cooperative research project involving more than seventy ADP univeristies. GeorgiaCollege's goal of 200 registrations was recently exceeded as we registered 354 voters through freshman seminar class presentations and email messages linked to Rock the Vote.
Student leaders were extraordinarily helpful in overcoming a university procedural obstacle relative to securing the venue (too long of a story!). Students were active in promoting the event and making a contribution to the community and district citizens who are faced with voting in one of the nation's most hotly contested races. President Bush campaigned for Max Burns five days after the debate. The planners learned political event-planning skills through contact with candidate campaign staffs, media, university and community leaders, and in the end, we all realized that GeorgiaCollege can play an important role in Middle Georgia politics by providing venues and engaged student-citizens. The event also challenged candidates to notice and engage an emerging generation of voters represented by students.
Press Release
Barrow, Burns to participate in candidate forum at Georgia College
Congressman John Barrow (D-GA) and Former Congressman Max Burns (R-GA) will participate in a Candidate Forum at 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 28, in the Magnolia Ballroom of the StudentCenter at GeorgiaCollege & StateUniversity. The public is invited to attend and there will be an opportunity to speak with the candidates after the forum.
The candidates are seeking election to the United States House of Representatives from Georgia’s new District 12. Barrow, incumbent; and Burns, a former Representative have represented Georgia in the U.S. Congress during the past four years.
GeorgiaCollege faculty members and regional media representatives will serve as panelists and pose questions to the candidates. The Candidate Forum is sponsored by the GCSU American Democracy Project, College Republicans, Young Democrats, the Government and Sociology Department, Georgia League of Women Voters, and the Coverdell Institute.
The StudentCenter is located on West Hancock Street, across from the GeorgiaCollege campus. For more information, contact Gregg Kaufman, director of the Coverdell Institute, (478) 445-1711.