By Lucy Walsh
Belmont University announced their plans to host a 2020 presidential debate in November of 2019, and students have been clambering to get involved from the get go. While hosting an event of this stature is always an honor and a marker of a successful institution, in some ways this privilege is old hat for Belmont, as they first hosted a town hall style debate in the Curb Event Center between then Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain in 2008. However, reprising this unique opportunity 12 years later continues to usher in new opportunities for current students to volunteer at the nationally broadcasted event, civically engage and and experience their own piece of history.
While Debate 2020 will only physically impact Belmont’s campus during the week of October 22nd, semester-long activities allow both the student body and Nashville community the opportunity to gear up for the 2020 election cycle through Well Core programming and an altered course catalogue that includes three presidential debate related courses. Belmont’s Department of Public Relations is offering an elective course entitled “PR in Action: Debate 2020,” while the neighboring Department of Media Studies is sponsoring both a “Watergate and All the President’s Men” and “Democracy and Media” courses. As a senior public relations major with a minor in publishing, I have had the opportunity to take two out of three of this semester’s “Debate 2020” related classes, and it has completely opened my eyes to the extent communicators of all disciplines relate to both presidential debates and the presidency as a whole!
“PR in Action: Debate 2020” is taught by associate professor Dr. Sharee Broussard, who formulated the course as an opportunity for undergraduate public relations students to formulate academic research papers and public relations case studies surrounding Belmont University’s involvement with the debate. Taking a unique perspective as the host university has been an unusual view, as compared to the typical scrutiny of the candidates and participating political parties. However, taking the time to view an event like this at a community and institutional level allows for a greater and more focused look at how the RPIE methodology can apply to public relations activities in all stages of debate preparation. Professionals from Belmont’s Office of Communications, Campus Sonar and FleishmanHillard’s New York and Washington D.C. offices have served as guest speakers to provide supplemental commentary on the “Debate 2020” season, which has made all the difference in helping us look at the debate from an outside perspective.
Meanwhile, I’m dually enrolled in the “Watergate and All the President’s Men” elective, which I was inspired to take after seeing Bob Woodward speak at the 2019 Public Relations Society of America conference! Taught by Professor Sara Wigal, a public relations professional and Director of Publishing within the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, this course takes a detailed view of how the Watergate scandal role in shaping precedent of executive privilege, investigative journalism and America’s understanding of the news media.
Belmont’s debate theme “Ideas of America” comes to life through these unique classroom experiences and the full lineup of educational events open to students and the public. From curriculum changes to student volunteer opportunities, public relations students at Belmont truly have the opportunity of a lifetime to experience a “from here to anywhere” style event right on our own campus. For more information on the Belmont 2020 presidential debate, visit https://belmontdebate2020.com.
Lucy Walsh is a senior public relations and publishing student from Evansville, Indiana. Alongside her duties as the editor of the PR at Belmont blog, she is an active executive board member of Belmont PRSSA and Belmont Ambassadors. She can typically be found listening to the full discography of Taylor Swift, walking Belmont Blvd. or writing snail mail to her friends and family.