Kirk G. Mottram 13

Political enthusiasts and skeptics alike will have the opportunity to hear political insiders, journalists and state officials discuss the development and manipulation of political campaign messages at a symposium in November.

The forum, sponsored by the SIUC Public Policy Institute, will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 3 in the Student Center. It will focus on how political campaigns deal with issues during the course of an election, specifically the issue of crime.

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Mike Lawrence, associate director of the Institute, said the symposium will be a curtain raiser for the 1998 elections, as it is scheduled exactly one year from election day.

It (the symposium) will be to inform people about the difficulties in dealing with issues in a campaign, Lawrence said.

People interested in attending the forum must register before Friday. The registration fees for SIUC students and faculty is $15. The fee for community college students and faculty is $10. Fees include lunch.

Lawrence said the forum is intended to spark discussion about the nature of campaign messages, otherwise impossible to dissect in political advertisements.

It is difficult to thoughtfully discuss issues in this era of 30-second sound bytes and 30-second commercials, he said. So, it may be that the panel will have different alternatives to these commercials.

The symposium will be conducted in two parts:a morning and afternoon session. The morning session will convene at 9 a.m. with a keynote address by former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. From 10 to 11:45 a.m., a panel will discuss how issues in political campaigns are developed, handled and reported.

The panel will consist of David Wilhelm, former Democratic National Chairman; Andy Foster, Gov. Jim Edgar’s 1994 re-election campaign manager; Rick Pearson, political writer for the Chicago Tribune; and Carol Fowler, assistant news editor of WGN-TV.

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Lunch will be served at noon, followed by a presentation from Gov. Jim Edgar. The afternoon panel, from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m., will focus on issues surrounding prison sentencing and overcrowding. Lawrence said the panel will discuss possible alternatives to tough on crime prison sentencing policies without the proposals sounding soft on crime.

The panel will consist of Odie Washington, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections; Appellate Court Justice Tom Homer of Naperville; Springfield Mayor Karen Hasara; Fowler; and Emily Wilkerson, State House correspondent for the Copley News Service.

The forum was designed initially for community college students, Lawrence said, but has been opened up for SIUC students, faculty and staff, and area residents.

To register for the forum call 536-7751.