MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Freed
561-297-3022, lfreed@fau.edu
BOCA RATON, FL (December 19, 2007) – Florida Atlantic University will host “Join It!” a series of civic engagement events that will coincide with the presidential primary debates scheduled to take place on FAU’s Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road. The events will take place Monday, January 14 through Friday, January 18 at FAU, prior to the presidential primary debates at the end of the month.
“Join It!” seeks to involve students and members of the community in the political process; facilitate and encourage voter registration; enhance student and community understanding of key issues relation to the 2008 election; and nurture an appreciation of the broader electoral process. The civic engagement week is a volunteer effort involving FAU students, faculty and staff from its seven campuses.
“The presidential debates are a great opportunity for education and a chance to help motivate our students and the members of the community to become involved in the political process,” said Kenneth Osgood, associate professor of history at FAU. “We also want it to be something that is fun and exciting. This is a grassroots effort for students and volunteers to come together and become energized by this, and we want to encourage and help people learn what is going on and help them to do their part in American democracy.”
All “Join It!” events are free and open to the public, and FAU students that attend select events will be eligible to receive tickets to the debates. Some events include Comedy Central’s “Indecision 2008” show, a “Rock the Vote” rally and cookout, as well as specialized workshops conducted by experts from FAU and the community on hot button issues related to the election such as democracy, civic engagement, climate change and energy, and the Iraq War. Panel discussions also will be led by students, local state representatives and special guest speakers, including Douglas Little, a history professor from Clark University and author of “American Orientalism: the U.S. and the Middle East since 1945.” Students also can enter various contests to win tickets to the debates, including an essay-writing contest, creating a winning YouTube video, or designing a T-shirt for the debates.
“Join It” is organized by the Alan B. Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency, Student Government Association, the American Democracy Project, Phi Alpha Theta, the FAU Center for Civic Engagement and Service, and the ad hoc Academic Connections Committee. The presidential debates will be televised by NBC and MSNBC, and are sponsored by Leadership Florida, the Florida Press Association and Florida Public Broadcasting Service, Inc.
For a complete list of “Join It!” events, workshops, contests and official rules, visit www.fau.edu/debates. For more information, to sponsor an event, or to have an activity added to the calendar, contact Kenneth Osgood at 561-297-2816 or kosgood@fau.edu.
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