Ouachita Baptist University hosted one of three AETN (Arkansas Educational Television Network) College Forums designed to engage college campuses in discussions about the upcoming elections. Ouachita’s episode of “Election 2008: AETN College Forums” is scheduled to air Friday, Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m.
The three-part forum series was taped at Ouachita’s George and Fay Young Auditorium in Hickingbotham Hall as well as the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith which will air Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m., and the University of Arkansas–Pine Bluff which will air Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Veteran journalist Steve Barnes moderates each of the forums. The first half hour of each program will air on AETN, while the second half hour will be streamed at www.aetn.org to encourage viewer feedback and interaction.
All three episodes of “Election 2008: AETN College Forums” will repeat in a block of programming Sunday, Nov. 2, at 12:30 p.m. AARP-Arkansas co-sponsored the series as part of its “Divided We Fall” initiative.
Student panelists for the Ouachita forum include Chloe O’Connor, editor-in-chief of The Ouachita Signal; Andrew Ford, treasurer of OBU’s Young Democrats; and Philip Williamson, chair of OBU’s College Republicans. Faculty members serving on the panel are Dr. Doug Reed, chair of OBU’s Department of Political Science, and Dr. Jeff Root, dean of Ouachita’s School of Humanities.
Discussion during the hour-long forum at Ouachita addressed such diverse issues as the national elections, the current economic crisis, Social Security and church-state separation.
“No other election in American history has been more important than this one,” noted AETN Commissioner Dr. William D. Downs, who retired in 2007 from OBU where he served for 41 years. “I’m confident that the Ouachita family provided a variety of viewpoints on the candidates and issues that will assist voters in making their decisions.”
“We are pleased with the opportunity to partner with AETN on this significant project,” agreed Trennis Henderson, Ouachita’s vice president for communications. “As our nation wrestles with such crucial issues as the national election, the economy and energy, it was instructive to hear our students and faculty engaging in dialogue on those and other vital topics.
“We appreciate AETN showcasing Ouachita as part of the College Forum emphasis,” Henderson added. “I am confident our Ouachita panelists will provide valuable insights for the benefit of viewers.”
