Cheney and Edwards to Square Off in Only Face-to-Face VP Debate of the 2004 Presidential Campaign October 5 at Case Western Reserve University

Historians, Authors, Politicians, Entertainers Will Gather to Highlight the Race at Case

CLEVELAND, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the signature events of the hotly contested 2004 presidential race will take place October 5 on the Case Western Reserve University campus when Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) square off in their only face-to-face debate of the campaign.

The nationally televised event is scheduled for 9-10:30 p.m. EDT in the university's Veale Center. Moderating will be Gwen Ifill, senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and moderator of "Washington Week in Review," both on PBS.

"Hosting an event such as this is a magnificent realization of the university's unique place in society," said Case President Edward M. Hundert, M.D. "We regard the debate as a great teachable moment that enables us to engage thousands of young voters in Ohio as well as students at all levels across the country."

Accompanying the debate will be a wide variety of related activities making up the weeklong Race at Case, including a student debate among representatives from Case and 14 other exemplary colleges and universities from across the country, a talk by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a day-long symposium exploring Ohio's role in presidential elections and featuring descendants of five Ohio-born presidents.

Media are welcome to attend all events. Credentials are not required for the events but are needed to access areas near the debate hall, including the media filing center. For more information, visit the Commission on Presidential Debates Web site at: http://www.debates.org .

Following is a day-by-day schedule of events leading up to and following the debate:

Wednesday, September 29:
-- Medicare, Prescription Drug and Improvement Act: Good Bill or Bill of Goods?" is a debate at The City Club of Cleveland featuring Thomas Scully, former administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Bruce Vladeck, former administrator of the Health Care
Financing Administration. The event begins at noon and is part of the "Shaping the Race at Case: Campaign Issues of 2004" series. It is open to the public but seating is limited. For registration or more information call (216) 621-0082.

-- African-American Presidential Issues Debate. The NAACP and Case's Black Greek Council and Alpha Phi Alpha chapter will host a forum highlighting the views of the presidential candidates as they relate to African-American voters. Blain Griffin, field coordinator for the
northeast district, will represent the Kerry-Edwards campaign, and Deborah Burstion-Donbraye, a consultant to the Bush-Cheney camp, also will speak. The forum is scheduled for 7:30-9 p.m. in Case's Thwing Center Ballroom, 11111 Euclid Ave., and is free and open to the
public. Contact Yohanes Frezgi at (937) 626-2670 or e-mail yohanes.frezgi@case.edu .

Thursday, September 30:
-- A talk by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., author of Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and his Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and president of the Waterkeeper Alliance. The event begins at 7 p.m. in Strosacker Auditorium on the Case campus and is sponsored by the University Program Board. It is free and open to the public.

Saturday, October 2:
-- "Student Vice Presidential Conventions and Debate Welcome, Introduction and Caucus," simulated political conventions with participating students from Case, Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Fisk, the University of Florida, Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Miami, Ohio
State, the University of Rochester, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Washington University in St. Louis. The event, open to students and media only, takes place from noon-5 p.m. in Crawford Hall, rooms 13 and 14.

Sunday, October 3:
-- Performance by Mo Rocca, former correspondent for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and contributor to "The Today Show." The event will take place at 8 p.m. in Strosacker Auditorium on the Case Quad and is open to the public. Tickets are $5 for undergraduate students, $7 for graduate students and staff and $10 for the public. This event is sponsored by the University Program Board.

-- Student Vice Presidential Conventions and Debate caucus (open to Case students and media only). The event takes place from noon-5 p.m. in Crawford Hall, rooms 13 and 14.

Monday, October 4:
-- Case All-Star Symposium featuring panel discussions on "Restoring Movement to Victims of Paralysis" and "Access, Quality and Cost: Health Care for our Nation's Citizens." The "Restoring Movement" session will be moderated by William Heetderks, associate director for Extramural Scientifics Programs at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB); John P. Donoghue, chair of the department of neuroscience at Brown University and founder of Cyberkinetics; Dominique Durand, Case professor of biomedical
engineering and neurosciences; Robert Miller, Case professor of neuroscience; Jerrold L. Vitek, co-chair of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Center for Neurological Restoration; and P. Hunter Peckham, Case professor of biomedical engineering and orthopaedics and director of the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center. Daniel D. Federman, senior dean for alumni relations and clinical teaching and former dean for medical education at the Harvard Medical School will deliver the keynote address.

Ceci Connolly, a national staff writer at the Washington Post, will moderate the session on "Access, Quality and Cost." Panelists include Bruce Bradley, director of health plan strategy and public policy for General Motors Health Care Initiatives; Alan Breier, vice president for medical and chief medical officer for Eli Lilly and Company; Regina E. Herzlinger, the Nancy R. McPherson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School; Ralph Horwitz, vice president for medical affairs, dean of the Case School of Medicine and director of the Case Research Institute; Theodore R. Marmor, professor of public policy and management at Yale University; and John Rother, director of policy and strategy for the American Association of Retired Persons.

-- National Student Vice Presidential Debate, in which students from Case will team up with students from 14 peer schools to model the political process with their own debate from 7-8:45 p.m. in the Thwing Center Ballroom. This event is free and open to the public. Case students are not required to register, but all others guests must register at:
vpdebate/students/debate_registration .

-- Pre-election forum at Case's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, which is also serving as the kickoff event for the Mandel School's 90th anniversary celebration. Speakers include The Honorable Louis Stokes, retired Ohio congressman; Jim Trakas, majority whip in the Ohio House of Representatives and central committee chair of the Ohio Republican Party; Lee Weingart, former Cuyahoga County commissioner and consultant to the Cuyahoga County Republican Party; and Tim Hagan, Cuyahoga County commissioner-elect and distinguished visiting professor at the Mandel School. The event will be moderated by Lee
Fisher, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Families and Children, and will take place from 4:30-6 p.m. in Room 320 of the Mandel School, 11235 Bellflower Road. It is free and open to the public. For more information call (216) 368-2281.

-- "Let's Shack Up," an event sponsored by the Case chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Case students will sleep outside in boxes on Freiberger Field, located on East Boulevard between Euclid Avenue and Bellflower Drive, to raise money for the chapter and raise awareness about poverty and homelessness.

Tuesday, October 5:
-- "Rise and Shine at Case," at which winners of the student lottery for tickets to the debate will be selected. Additionally, a variety of races (relay, three-legged, potato sack and more) will take place along with a pancake breakfast -- as the participants in Habitat for Humanity's "Let's Shack Up" event awaken -- all on Freiberger Field.

-- "The Ohio 8: Ohio's History in Presidential Politics," a daylong symposium exploring how presidents from Ohio have shaped American history. The symposium will include panel discussions on "Ohio Saves the Nation," "Ohio Sets the Agenda for Nation Building and the Emergence of a World Power" and "Ohio from FDR to 2004." Among the speakers will be descendants of Presidents Hayes, Garfield, McKinley, Taft and Harding; former presidential counsel John Dean; and authors, historians and politicians. The event will take place at the
Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., and is open to the public. For tickets and additional information call (216) 421-7350.

-- "Rally for Health Care Reform" conducted by the Case chapters of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and the American Medical Association (AMA). Speakers challenging the presidential and vice presidential candidates to address issues related to access, the uninsured and the rising costs of heath care include: Brian Palmer, president AMSA; Gail Bromley, Cleveland Free Clinic; Robert Haynie, associate dean, Case School of Medicine; and Don Palmissano, past president AMA (invited). Local patients also will provide
testimonials during the rally at 3:30 p.m. in front of Case's Biomedical Research Building on Adelbert Road. This event is open only to Case School of Medicine students, faculty and staff. Call (216) 368-3635 for more information.

-- "mtvU and Case Rock the Vote," a debate simulcast and student party featuring The Clarks, dodge ball and other activities and student- driven programming, will take place from 4-11 p.m. on Freiberger Field.

-- Case Community Debate Watch: Alumni, faculty, staff and community guests are invited to join an interactive faculty panel featuring experts in the fields of healthcare, national security, campaigning, the electoral process and the economy. People also may participate
via live streaming video on the Internet. This dynamic format will allow live and online participants to engage in a question-and-answer session with the panelists. Following the panel discussion, attendees will watch the vice presidential debate. For more information or to register to attend, visit vpdebate/content/campus_dwatch .

-- Vice Presidential Debate: nationally televised debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John Edwards. The debate will take place in Case's Horsburgh/Emerson Gymnasium from 9-10:30 p.m., EDT. There are no ticket sales. Tickets are distributed by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Wednesday, October 6:
-- Start of "Fall for the Circle," a series of concerts, museum displays and art exhibits in institutions on the Case campus and free activities in the restored Wade Oval park, all on the Case campus. All events are open to the public and continue through Sunday, October 10.

Friday, October 8:
-- The Capitol Steps, a performance by the political satire troupe will kick-off Case's Alumni Weekend and Homecoming. The performance begins at 8 p.m. in Case's Strosacker auditorium. It is open to the public, but ticket priority will be given to Case alumni. For tickets and more information, visit http://www.cwru.edu/alumni/events/home.html .

About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing and Social Sciences.

http://www.case.edu
SOURCE Case Western Reserve University
Web Site: http://www.case.edu