Campus groups to host mayoral debate

Penn students will get an up-close view of Philadelphia politics next month, when Democratic Mayor Ed Rendell and his Republican challenger, Joe Rocks, discuss their visions for the city's future at an on-campus debate. A bipartisan coalition of campus political groups is sponsoring the debate, which is slated for October 23, according to Wharton senior Dan Debicella, the chairperson of College Republicans. This debate is the first of the fall campaign season to be announced. College senior Eric Roberson, president of College Democrats, said the debate will be held at 5 p.m. in the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theatre. Together, College Democrats and College Republicans have about 150 members on campus, Roberson said. But because most Penn students are not Philadelphia residents, interest in local elections has typically been minimal. Rendell's large lead in the polls -- combined with Rocks's virtual anonymity in West Philadelphia -- has not helped spark student interest either. But Roberson remains confident that "a pretty good crowd" will turn out for the debate. He added that although college students are often considered politically apathetic, his group's members are excited about the debate. Rocks's press secretary, Dale Wilcox, said the Republican candidate is looking forward to next month's debate. "We've said from the very beginning that we want to have as many debates -- forums of a head-to-head nature -- throughout the city, anywhere and everywhere, to get to the real issues in the campaign," Wilcox said. Rocks's three main concerns -- improving public safety, increasing the city's affordability and reforming public education -- have a universal appeal for students at an urban school like Penn, Wilcox added. Debicella said he began working last spring to bring the mayoral candidates to campus. He ironed out the last of the debate details this week. According to Debicella, both candidates have agreed to a format which includes brief opening statements of about two minutes each, questions from a three- to five-member panel, questions from the audience and closing statements of approximately five minutes. The debate will last for just over an hour, with the question-and-answer sessions each allotted a half-hour. Debicella said he would like local media personalities to serve as panelists for the debate. He has contacted reporters at The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, but has not received any commitments. University President Judith Rodin has also been invited to serve on the panel. According to Debicella, she has not indicated whether she will do so. Debicella asked Annenberg School Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson to moderate the debate. But Jamieson said Wednesday that scheduling conflicts will prevent her from participating. With additional advance notice, she might have been able to accommodate Debicella's request, she added. "At this point in the semester, day by day, [my schedule] is pretty tight," she said. "It would've been fun." Roberson said College Democrats is already gearing up for the November general election, although it is more than a month away. Working with the Rendell campaign and Penn Law Democrats, the group recently kicked off a two-week voter registration drive aimed at signing up as many new voters on campus as possible. Members of both College Democrats and Penn Law Democrats will be manning a table on Locust Walk in front of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. They will distribute registration forms for students who are not on the election rolls in Philadelphia, as well as change-of-address cards for students who are already registered to vote in their hometowns. College Republicans may join College Democrats in this effort, Roberson said. Voter registration ends October 10.

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