GCU Speech and Debate Team Presents: A Mock Presidential Debate
On Oct. 21, GCU’s nationally ranked Speech and Debate Team represented the current presidential candidates in a mock debate. The event took place in the Ethington Theatre, where students, staff and faculty gathered to watch.
GCU Speech and Debate Team members Thomas Rotering, Jasmin Sharp, Zach Kuykendall and Alaina Owen represented candidates Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein.
According to Thomas Rotering, representative of Donald Trump, when speaking of the election, it is important to be informed in order to participate wisely. For this event, GCU’s Speech and Debate Team had the goal to foster real-world education by taking both sides of the issue, allowing members to see the whole of the topic.
Furthermore, it is so important to focus not only on voting, but also making our votes count. For Jasmin Sharp, representative of Hillary Clinton, she hopes the event showed that the candidate’s policies matter more than who they are as individuals.
Rather than being complacent with the power structures put in place, this event encouraged individuals to think critically. It can be easy to fall into a limited way of thinking when it comes to voting, but it is now more important than ever for voters to really consider the policies each of the candidates stand for. According to Zach Kuyendall, it is important to not look at politics like sports, but rather, view it as individualized and unique.
All in all, this event was a great way to showcase the talent of GCU’s amazing Speech and Debate Team, while bringing attention to the upcoming election. For Alaina Owen, this event brought together individuals who share the same passion for policy and the same passion for God.
To see more from the mock presidential debate, watch the video below:
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.