Presidential Debating Comes to Salve

By: Sarah Iani
Posted In: News

Robert Pesapane is stressed. This Wednesday, at 2:00p.m., the Salve junior has to convince the student body that he is Senator John Kerry in a mock Presidential Debate. Even to a seasoned politician, it proves no easy task.

“I’m representing views to people who don’t even know who John Kerry is,” Pesapane said. “I’m also not as eloquent a speaker as he is.”

Eloquence might not seem like such a factor when you are representing President George W. Bush, the task at hand for senior Steve Farina. Although he’s reading up on Bush’s plans through the campaign’s website, knowing the policies will only be half the battle.

“It’s a little tougher representing Bush, he’s not the most well-liked person,” Farina said. “There will be a lot more Kerry supporters in the audience.”

Both Salve students were chosen to represent their candidates in a mock presidential debate Wednesday at Bazarsky Lecture Hall in O’Hare. Considerations were given to students well involved with politics and with Salve, as are both Pesapane and Farina.

“We wanted someone who would be able to get up there and debate the issues,” Stephen Kavanagh, SGA President, said. “Both are passionate.”

Pesapane is an avid Kerry supporter, as well as an intern in the lieutenant governor’s office in Providence. Farina represented Salve at the Republican National Convention in August, as well as having held internships in Washington D.C. Both are politics majors.

A third candidate, such as a Nader speaker, will not be present. “We gave brief thought to a Nader candidate, but we wanted to focus on two sides,” Kavanagh said.

The hour-long debate will feature a short introduction of each candidate, followed by five minute opening statements by each. Kavanagh will act as moderator, giving the candidates questions on five issues: Iraq, education, national security, economics, and health care.

Each candidate will have three minutes to answer each question, and each will have a rebuttal. Two minute closing statements will end the program.

The debate, originally the brainchild of Dean John Quinn and the office of Student Life, started formalizing around the middle of August, and will be a completely student-run production. Whether this will affect how many students it draws remains to be seen, but a high turnout is expected.

“I don’t know if it’s going to help people decide who to vote for, but I’m hoping we get a few people to at least look,” Farina said. “The problem is how to get to kids who really don’t know what’s going on, without turning them off.”

Appealing to all students also increases the stress factor. Neither candidate knows exactly what the other will say, within the scope of their candidate’s views. The questions are given in advance to the candidates, but “you still don’t know what the other person will say,” Pesapane said.

Farina agrees. “It’s pretty hard to prepare for the debate,” he said. “The issues are pretty broad; you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

If all goes well, the candidates may return.

“There will be talk for a second one depending on how this one goes,” Kavanagh said.

Wednesday’s debate will be the first of its kind at Salve. With all the election fanfare that is taking place, the hope is that students will take notice.

“It’s a pretty important election, with a lot of big issues being tossed around,” Farina said. “It’s going to be our burden in the next decade or so. I hope people take an interest in it.”