For Immediate Release:

Contact:

Tammy Shank

540-989-6641, ext. 258

tshank@northcross.org

North Cross School will hold a campaign debate between prominent party leaders in the Roanoke Valley on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. with John Fishwick representing the Democratic platform and Tom Brock representing the Republican platform.  The debate will be attended by students from the lower, middle and upper schools of NCS. 

Fishwick is a current parent and alumnus of NCS.  He is also a licensed attorney practicing in the Roanoke Valley and has formed a campaign committee toward seeking the Democratic nomination for VA Attorney General in 2009.  Brock is a retired CEO of General Electric in Salem and a recognized cultural and business leader in the Valley.  Each speaker will have two minutes to make an opening statement.

The NCS senior government classes have chosen a list of topics they wish to have addressed, which have been compiled into 10 questions by NCS faculty members Chris Davies and Malcolm Douglas.  A presidential election provides an excellent beginning to conversations about the political process in this country. The students’ interest is high, and they are curious about the validity of the information they receive from their friends, families and the media, said upper school history and government teacher Chris Davies.  “Allowing our students to interact directly with spokesmen for the Republicans and Democrats provides them a chance to critically evaluate the stances of both parties.  I am glad that we have periods built into the North Cross schedule to allow for presentations such as this.”  

The debate will be moderated by Patrick DelBuono, a senior at North Cross School.  A coin flip will determine the order of response by the speakers.  The first speaker will have two minutes to respond once the moderator asks the question, while the second speaker will have two minutes to rebut. The first speaker will then have 30 seconds for any additional comments. This portion will last approximately 45 minutes. The final portion will be a question and answer session from the audience.

Closing statements will again be confined to two minutes.

North Cross School is a college-preparatory, day school grounded in a strong liberal arts and science curriculum combined with exceptional co-curricular programs. The academic program, from Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade, prepares students to become responsible, successful citizens by encouraging them to explore their interests and develop their talents. The School is located at 4254 Colonial Avenue, Roanoke, VA, 24018

Please Note: Reporters/photographers planning to attend should contact Tammy Shank, at tshank@northcross.org or 540-989-6641, x258.