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 Georgia College 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.
Georgia College'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 Georgia College 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 Student Center at Georgia College & State University. 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.
Georgia College 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 Student Center is located on West Hancock Street, across from the Georgia College
campus. For more information, contact Gregg Kaufman, director of the Coverdell
Institute, (478) 445-1711.