Armed with political platforms, pinstriped suits and Gore 2000 pins, the combatants in a Monday night debate launched a full-scale attack against each other's presidential proposals. Although they debated like professionals, they were students, the members of foreign policy classes taught by political science professor Peter Feaver and public policy professor Fritz Mayer.
After a semester of preparation, the two classes met to debate the foreign policy platforms of Presidential candidates Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush last night in the Old Chemistry Building. Feaver's class represented Bush's foreign advisory team, while Mayer's represented Gore's. In a heated debate attended by nearly 100 spectators, the two foreign policy teams went head-to-head on foreign issues ranging from trade relations with China to the citizenship of Elian Gonzalez.
Students involved in the debate said the opportunity to bring classroom issues to life was valuable. "I thought this was really the best class I've taken all semester," said Erin Abrams, a Trinity sophomore who acted as one of Bush's advisers. "This type of discussion is really unmatched by anything I've ever seen at Duke."
Trinity senior David Feinberg agreed. "This was by far the best part of the class," he said. "We talked about political debating strategy, and tonight we really got to employ some of that."
The debate was the realization of an idea to integrate the two foreign policy classes with the current issues in the presidential race.
With funding from Warren Wickersham, Trinity '60, Feaver and Mayer created a multi-faceted learning program, in which students had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., listen to lectures from senior members of the Department of Defense and speak with several ambassadors about issues relevant to foreign policy in America.
"Those opportunities have enriched the class in a way that I couldn't have done just by lecturing," said Feaver.
Trinity junior Christine Young, who acted as one of Bush's advisers, said the class experience was exceptional. "It's helped me immensely because I've gotten to articulate my questions to people who actually have a hand in shaping foreign policy in America," she said.
Structured as an official political debate, both teams had to field questions simultaneously from the audience in 90-second intervals, while at the same time formulating responses to their opponents' arguments.
Both John Hillen, Trinity '88 and member of the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century, and John Depres, chief foreign policy coordinator for former presidential candidate Bill Bradley, attended the debate. The two guests kept the level of debate high as they challenged participants with questions relevant to the current presidential race.
Feaver said he thought the night was a success. "I hope that the students now have sympathy for candidates that have to answer questions on the fly." he said. "Until you actually participate in something like this, it's not real."
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