Edgewood College to Host Madison’s DebateWatch 2004
Invites Public to Three Nights of Nonpartisan Viewing and Discussion 

Madison, Wis., Sept. 21 – Do you want to make up your own mind about the presidential debates, without instant analysis and spin? Do you want your opinion of the debates to count for something? DebateWatch 2004, sponsored by Edgewood College, gives people a chance to watch the debates, discuss the outcome, and have their opinions be counted, before they are swayed by commentators or politicians.

“We will watch the debates together, void of negative advertising, opinionated shock jocks, and the many other spin doctors around,” says Michael Corrigan, the Edgewood College professor of communication studies who is organizing the events. “The goal is to help a few Madisonians avoid the hypothesized ‘hypodermic needle’ effect, which believes the media influence how we think and view things. Participants will also have an opportunity to record their opinions, anonymously, of course. We will analyze the results to provide a more accurate snapshot of the true outcome of the debates.”

Post-debate discussion groups will provide an opportunity to hear first-hand how voters in Madison viewed the debates. Corrigan will also gather data for a quick statistical snapshot of who won, why, and how the debate changed voters’ minds.

DebateWatch 2004 schedule

All DebateWatch events are free, and take place in the Anderson Auditorium, Predolin Humanities Center, Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison.

Thursday, September 30

• 7:00 pm: “Presidential Debates 101: The Lookers, the Lucky, and the Losers,” by Michael Corrigan, Edgewood College professor of communication studies, with appetizers from Pasqual’s Salsaria and Southwestern Deli.

• 8:00 pm: Watch debate on foreign policy and security at University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.

• 9:30 pm: Post-debate discussion.

Friday, October 8

• 7:00 pm: “The Young and the Voteless,” by Corrigan and Edgewood College students, with appetizers from Willy Street Co-op and Phil’s Café.
• 8:00 pm: Watch town-meeting-style debate at Washington University, St. Louis.

• 9:30 pm: Post-debate discussion.

Wednesday, October 13

• 7:00 pm: “Moses on Negative Advertising” by Moses Altsech, Edgewood College professor of business marketing, with appetizers from Pasqual’s.
• 8:00 pm: Watch debate on domestic issues at Arizona State University, Tempe.
• 9:30 pm: Post-debate discussion.

About DebateWatch

DebateWatch is a national voter education program of the nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates, which has sponsored the presidential debates since 1988. For more information about the debates and Madison’s DebateWatch 2004 events, visit www.debates.org and http://commarts.edgewood.edu/communication_studies.htm. For more details or to volunteer to help, contact Professor Michael Corrigan at mwcorrigan@edgewood.edu or 608-663-3434.

About Edgewood College

 Edgewood College, located on the shores of Lake Wingra in Madison, Wis., is a Catholic, independent liberal arts college with approximately 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students, pursuing more than 40 academic and professional programs. Edgewood offers masters degrees in business, education, nursing, and other fields, and a doctoral program in education leadership. For more information about Edgewood College, visit www.edgewood.edu or call 800-444-4861.

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