Centre News

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced this
week that Martha Raddatz, Chief Foreign Correspondent for
ABC News, will moderate the Vice Presidential Debate at
Centre College on Oct. 11.
The line-up for the Debate Festival was also announced this
week, with a variety of performers scheduled—including
country pop duo Aly’An, featuring Alyson Burke ’12 (above left).

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Centre College each made announcements this week related to the 2012 political season.

The CPD released that ABC News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Martha Raddatz will moderate the Vice Presidential Debate at Centre College on October 11. Raddatz has held her current role at ABC since 2008. Previously, she acted as the network’s State Department and senior national security correspondent. She is the author of “The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family,” a New York Times Bestseller about the Iraqi war.

Moderators for the three presidential debates this fall were also announced. Jim Lehrer, executive editor for PBS NewsHour, will moderate the debate at the University of Denver on Oct. 3. Candy Crowley, chief political correspondent for CNN and anchor of CNN’s State of the Union, will moderate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., on Oct. 16—and will be the first female moderator of a presidential debate in 20 years. Bob Schieffer, chief Washington correspondent for CBS and moderator of CBS’ Face the Nation, will moderate the debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., on Oct. 22.

Also announced this week was the selection of the Republican candidate for vice president, with Romney choosing Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate. Ryan, a native Wisconsinite, is chairman of the House Budget Committee and a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. For information about candidate selection criteria for participation in general election debates, click here.

The public is invited to participate in the festivities surrounding the Vice Presidential Debate at Centre by attending the Debate Festival on Oct. 11. The festival, which will be held on Festival Lawn in front of Old Centre, will feature a live screening of the Debate, along with entertainment and performances.

The Marshall Tucker Band—known for their Southern rock songs “Can’t You See” and “Heard It In a Love Song”—will headline the festival. Also performing will be Ben Sollee, a Kentucky cellist, singer and songwriter who has performed on campus in the past.

Centre students and Danvillians will also have the chance to take center stage during the festival. Country pop duo Aly’An—featuring Alyson Burke ’12—will perform, along with popular student-faculty group The Kentucky Ensemble and the local Danville Children’s Choir.

For more information about the Debate Festival, visit the Festival page.

For more about the Vice Presidential Debate at Centre this fall, visit Centre’s debate website.

Have comments, suggestions, or story ideas? E-mail elizabeth.trollinger@centre.edu with your feedback.

Centre College, founded in 1819 and chosen to host its second Vice Presidential Debate in 2012, is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges, at 42nd in the nation, and ranks 27th for best value among national liberal arts colleges. Forbes magazine ranks Centre 34th among all the nation’s colleges and universities and has named Centre in the top five among all institutions of higher education in the South for three years in a row. Centre is also ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News for its study abroad program. For more, click here.