CONWAY,
Ark. (July 20, 2016) – Hendrix College senior Barrett Goodwin '17 has been
selected as a College Debate 2016 Delegate.
Goodwin,
a politics major from Little Rock, Arkansas, will be a key part of a national,
student-led conversation around the key issues that resonate with younger
voters.
"I applied because I'm very
passionate about youth involvement with politics, which is what College Debate
16 is all about: how college students can promote discourse on the issues that
matter to them,” said Goodwin, who will serve as vice president of the Hendrix
Student Senate this year. “I'm looking forward to bringing what I learn back to
Hendrix, where I think we can really be a model campus for political engagement
both this fall and going forward.”
“I want to learn how to get those
conversations started,” he added. “People aren't always comfortable talking
about politics, but everyone has an opinion that's valuable or some unique
perspective to bring to the table."
This
first-of-its-kind initiative was created by Dominican University of California, a Voter Education
Partner of the Commission on
Presidential Debates.
College
Debate 2016 will draw on technology and social media to generate discussion of
issues important to students, and to bring those issues to the attention of the
moderators of the Presidential debates in the fall.
The
delegates attended a summer planning and training session on the Dominican
campus in San Rafael, California, to organize issue-focused events and
outreach on their home campuses. The programming will focus on promoting
civil discourse, understanding responsible digital citizenry, and avoiding
stereotypes and assumptions while focusing on the issues rather than party
politics.
This
fall, the delegates will attend the 2016 College Convention. This event will
provide a forum for focused discussion on national youth issues. The
culminating event includes a 90-minute moderated Town Hall meeting, which will
be streamed live to delegates’ home campuses across the country.
The
final product will be a memo to the moderators of the 2016 Presidential Debates
that will contain specific questions the college delegates want the candidates
to address.
About Hendrix College
Hendrix
College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876
and affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured
in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change
the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous college
guides, lists, and rankings for academic quality, community, innovation, and
value. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.