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The Observer

Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer

Case Western Reserve University's independent student news source

The Observer

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Printing is great. Debating is better.

As hard as we may try to ignore it, being newspaper editors at a prominent university in the middle of October isn’t always as exciting as it sounds. Sure, there are great stories lingering amidst the brisk campus air; they’re always around. And, of course, the midpoint of the semester is when the first “scandals” of the year tend to bubble up from the background – everything can’t stay perfect forever.

But the month of October will never be as journalistically turbulent as the beginning or end of a semester, and, for that matter, the spring.

So why not make things interesting?

This year, October will take on a whole new meaning for The Observer as we work to make some noise at a stereotypically quiet time.

On Oct. 25, The Observer will host its Election 2012 Debate at 7 p.m. in the Thwing Ballroom. This will be the first time our publication has hosted such an event in recent memory, and it will certainly satiate this October restlessness.

A debate for students by students, the most articulate representatives of Case Democrats, Case College Republicans, and Young Americans for Liberty will wage battle over political philosophies in front of the Case Western Reserve University and greater Cleveland communities.

However, this debate will feature the attendees just as much as these representatives. In fact, audience participation before, during, and after the debate will be critical to making this a lively, organic conversation rather than a bland nursing home roundtable.

Prior to the event, anyone may submit a question for the speakers via The Observer’s Facebook page, Twitter stream, or by emailing observer@case.edu.

During the debate, attendees can tweet questions and commentary, which will be displayed on projectors to the audience, as well as folded into the questions for the speakers.

Following the program, The Observer will select key tweets to reprint in our next edition, which will hit newsstands on Nov. 2.

As a neutral student newspaper, it is our responsibility to provide our constituents with as much information as possible, regardless of where (or whether) they fall into the political spectrum. Therefore, don’t expect us to tell you how to vote. But do expect us to tell you to do it.

College students help decide elections, and, in a critical swing state like Ohio, we matter here, we matter now, and we matter more than ever. Information will be circulated at the event to help guide you to the polls on Election Day, and regulations, such as voter ID constraints, will be clarified.

I hope you will be able to join us for this special event. After all, there will be many issues, ranging from healthcare and immigration to student loans and employment, up for debate. But the importance of the student voice will not be one of them.

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About the Contributor
Tyler Hoffman, Executive Editor & Publisher
. Fourth-year medical anthropology student Tyler Hoffman has served as Executive Editor and Publisher of The Observer since April 2012. As Executive Editor, Tyler is responsible for establishing and maintaining the direction of The Observer's print and online platforms. Formerly the News Editor, he specializes in research reporting and digital publishing, which are skills he honed as a health writer and editor with the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In addition to his work with The Observer, Tyler chairs the University Media Board and co-chairs the Student Executive Council. In April 2013, he was the recipient of CWRU's Outstanding Member of the Media Award. -- Outside of campus media, Tyler is the Division of Information Technology Services' Student Engagement Leader, in which he helps direct efforts to support students in their use of academic technologies at the university. When not working, Tyler, a passionate fan of food and cooking, enjoys kicking back with his friends and  tasting his way through the Cleveland restaurant scene. Reach Tyler at tyler.hoffman@case.edu and on Twitter @tylerehoffman. .

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