Our Main Campus is gearing up for an exciting event that underscores Drexel’s commitment to civic engagement. On October 30, the eight Democratic candidates for president will appear in a debate broadcast live on MSNBC from the Main Building Auditorium.

Drexel will be in the national political spotlight, and Drexel student volunteers, faculty and staff members will be in the middle of it all. This is one of only six debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee, and it will play a crucial role in defining the electoral landscape for 2008.

The energy created by this event will provide a great springboard for a major election-year initiative led by Dr. Jane Bryan, dean of the Drexel Libraries and Dr. Mark Greenberg, dean of the Pennoni Honors College and supervisor of the Center for Civic Engagement. Drexel Votes 2008 will focus discussion on the roles of young voters and technology in the electoral process. I encourage students and faculty to lend their voices. Drexel is committed to educating good citizens as well as good students, and citizenship starts with voting.

As part of our responsibility to connect our students to the civic fabric, our University has a long tradition of bringing notable political figures to campus. This spring we hosted a Philadelphia mayoral debate, and we played host to events during the 2000 Republican convention in Philadelphia. Campus guests have included U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, President Bill Clinton and Chinese president Jiang Zemin, among many others.

I want to thank MSNBC for bringing the debate to Drexel, and our Office of Government and Community Relations, under the leadership of Vice President Brian Keech, for its role in facilitating this special opportunity. I encourage the entire University community to enjoy the excitement that will descend on our campus, and to become involved in election-related events and Drexel Votes 2008 throughout the coming year.

C.R. "Chuck" Pennoni Interim President