Rating the Debate
by Terri Raimondi

WFSB-TV Channel 3 news reporter Susan Raff interviewed Jeffrey Morris '02, a member of the Government and Law Society, during the vice-presidential debate.

As millions of Americans tuned into the presidential and vice-presidential debates at home this fall, University of Hartford students tuned in to "Rate the Debate" live, via the Internet.

On Thursday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 17, 20 members of the Government and Law Society joined thousands of other students nationwide to give simultaneous, moment-by-moment feedback on the candidates via the Internet. The Hartford students used the latest in Internet technology on state-of-the-art equipment in the University's new Computer Learning Center (CLC) to respond positively or negatively while they watched the candidates debate on television.

On Oct. 5, the students rated the vice-presidential debate between Democrat Joseph Lieberman and Republican Dick Cheney. On Tuesday, Oct. 17, students rated the presidential debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush.

Sophomore Andrew Fimka, president of the Government and Law Society, said the group had traveled to Boston for the first presidential debate between Gore and Bush and were eager to participate in "Rate the Debate."

What the candidates said during the debates mattered less than how their messages were received at CLC. As students gave live reaction to the debate and to some of Campaign 2000's tough issues, their responses were automatically tallied and reported by Fox News.

"Rate the Debate" is an interactive Web initiative sponsored by Speakout.com and Fox News Channel which records television viewers' responses to the candidates' performances during the debates. The sponsors and Youth Vote 2000, a nonpartisan coalition that urges young people to vote, encouraged students nationwide to log on and rate the debate.

Students logged onto an Internet-based "dial meter" that allowed them to score every second of the debate on a 0-to-100 scale, indicating their level of approval or disapproval. The continuously running graph displayed the results of their input immediately, producing instant online results.

Fimka said that using the Internet gave credibility to the students' answers and put participants' responses on equal terms nationwide.

Junior Jeffrey Morris, a politics and government major, described "Rate the Debate" as an interactive learning experience. "We watched the candidates speak and simultaneously voiced our opinion" said Morris. "The candidates reiterated what they believed in."

The students generally liked what they heard, although many students were critical of how the candidates responded and felt they did not give direct answers. Many students were interested in knowing how the candidates would benefit education.

George Brophy, the University's new director of information technology services (ITS), said "Rate the Debate" was a true example of teamwork across the University. Although the Computer Learning Center was not yet in use, ITS was able to work with other departments, including media technology services and telecom, to make the new center ready for "Rate the Debate." When fully equipped, CLC will include more than 20 computer seats plus printing and scanning capabilities, and a professional presenter's station with a ceiling-mounted projector, screen, and television hookup capability.

"The technology performed flawlessly as the students watched and listened to the debate via the television hookup, and rated the debate in real time over the Internet, " said Brophy. "It was both exciting and enjoyable to see our students in action using this technology while participating in the political process."

The "Rate the Debate" event attracted impressive media attention, including WFSB-TV Channel 3, NBC 30, WTIC-TV Channel 61, New England Cable News (NECN), and The Hartford Courant. Channel 61 and NECN set up satellite trucks and broadcast live from the event.

"I was pleased to see how well our students interacted with the media and how well they presented themselves and the University of Hartford," said Brophy.

Freshman Ugo Mbawuiki said "Rate the Debate" is a good example of democracy in action. "If we all took time to do something like this, the world would change," he said.