The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

College of Democrats, Republicans go head-to-head

The College Democrats and the College Republicans met in debate Tuesday evening in Warren Hall in front of a crowd of 30 students.

Three Warren Hall student residence assistants organized a debate between College Republicans President John Teresi and former College Democrats President TyJuan Cratic where issues such as the draft, healthcare, media bias, and financial aid for college students were discussed over boxes of free Grinnelli's Pizzeria pizza.

The three SRA's, John White, Melaina Hammons and Natasha Pierce, organized the event as part of a campus-wide push to inform students about both President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry's opinions on different issues.

Anita Hutton, University associate for Warren Hall, served as moderator for the debate.

Hutton, Cratic and Teresi all received a copy of the questions prior to the debate.

Hutton asked five questions to both candidates and then opened a question and answer forum. Two questions were omitted to save time so residents and pundits alike could watch Tuesday's vice-presidential debate.

Much of the attention early in the debate focused on media bias.

"The mainstream media is usually liberal," Teresi said. "When have you turned on your TV and seen the schools, the hospitals, and the small businesses instead of the bloodshed?"

Cratic disagreed and said news outlets such as CNN have no bias, but that Fox News does. Despite this, he said, Kerry is fairly portrayed in media.

Because of the nature of the college setting, both debaters highlighted their party's presidential candidate's views on financial aid and the No Child Left Behind Act.

"Every young person who works hard should be able to go to college," Cratic said. "It's part of the American dream."

Cratic said that Pell Grants have been lowered or frozen in past years, and that if trends continue, 220,000 students would be "priced out" of college.

Teresi said Bush would increase grants by $1,000 for 30,000 first-year college students in science, math and foreign languages, and by $5,000 for 20,000 students in math and science.

Both Cratic and Teresi said that reinstating the draft was improbable and would not be considered by either candidate.

"Don't believe the spin used to influence the voters and scare them," Teresi said. "There will be no more draft."

Cratic said Kerry will also not support the draft, but emphasized the troops are currently undergoing a "backdoor draft" that keeps deployed troops on extended stays overseas without support or supplies.

"One of the steps Kerry wants to take is internationalizing the burden," Cratic said. "We have had over 1,000 soldiers die over there."

Following the debate and the question and answer forum, White said he believed the debate was an important step in informing students and encouraging them to vote. "We're going to do all we can in the next 29 days," White said.

 

 

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