Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton is joined by Jennifer T. Sisto, speaker of the Congress of the South 40, and Neil K. Patel, Student Union president, at a news conference in the Field House of the Athletic Complex where Washington University will host the 2008 vice presidential debate. (photo courtesy Washington University)
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WUSTL to Host 2008 Vice Presidential Debate
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), November 20, 2007 - Calling it "one of the great traditions of Washington University," Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced during a news conference Oct. 19 that the University will host the 2008 vice presidential debate, scheduled for 8 p.m. CDT on Oct. 2, 2008.
Washington University in St. Louis has hosted more debates than any other institution in history. Since 1992, the university has been asked by the Commission on Presidential Debates to host debates in five consecutive elections.
This is the fifth consecutive time the University has been selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) to host a debate. Washington University is the only institution to host more than two debates.
In 1992, the University hosted the first three-candidate presidential debate in CPD history, was selected to host a presidential debate in 1996 that eventually was canceled, hosted the third and last presidential debate of the 2000 campaign season and the second of three presidential debates before the 2004 election.
"It is a privilege to once again play an important role in the American electoral process and to be chosen from among 19 applicants to be one of the hosts and the site of the only vice presidential debate for the 2008 election season," Wrighton said during the conference at the Field House, which by next October will be transformed into a debate site.
The debate will focus on both domestic and foreign policy and will be administered by a single moderator.
All tickets to attend the debate are assigned by the CPD. As was done in 1992, 2000 and 2004, any debate tickets that may be assigned to Washington University will be distributed only to full-time students, who will be selected in a University-wide lottery, Wrighton said.
Students also will have the opportunity to volunteer to become involved with the debate as well as take part in the political conversations that surround such an event.
The debate "is going to be a part of the campus culture," said Jennifer Sisto, a sophomore bioengineering major and speaker of the Congress of the South 40. "Students will become more involved in discussions outside of the debate itself, and clearly after the debate there will be a lot of reaction around campus."
Neil Patel, a senior in Arts & Sciences and Student Union president, remembers the impact the 2004 debate had on both him and the campus. That fall, Patel, then a freshman, decided he would major in political science rather than business.
"The current events at the time and the debate just brought out an interest that I didn't have before," he said. "The debate is just one day, but the debate arena, the hype around it, lasts for weeks. It's in the paper. On your way to class, you see public figures."
"Living in St. Louis, it's more difficult to get involved in national politics than it would be living in D.C.," he said. "Having the debate here is like dropping D.C. in the middle of St. Louis."
The CPD, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in 1987, is responsible for selecting the venues and producing the presidential debates. Three presidential debates will be held at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., on Sept. 26; at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 7; and Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., on Oct. 15.
U.S. Teens Spending Power for Crucial Holiday Season Could Bode Well for Traditional Retailers
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), November 18, 2007 - OTX (Online Testing eXchange), a leading global consumer research and consulting firm, has released new results from its Teen Topix study. The Teen Topix survey taps into the complex lives of the 13-17 year old set and is done in conjunction with eCRUSH, a leading PG-13 social networking site. 750 teens across the country were surveyed about their gift buying behavior and preferences for the coming holiday season.
A key finding of the study was that 95% of teens chose shopping at stores and malls, over catalog and online. However, 65% of teens say they use the Internet to find out about new, cool products, friends come in a close second at 62%, and 54% of teens find about new products from commercials on TV.
When asked about specific types of stores they will shop at this holiday season, Electronics (46%), Bath/body (45%), and music stores (41%) led the way. Much lower on the list were store websites (13%), online stores (12%), auction sites (8%), and home shopping channels (3%).
The study also found that holiday shopping remains a social experience as 84% of teens say they will shop with others, while 16% will shop alone, and 74% prefer to shop with their friends, versus 26% who say they would rather shop with their parents.
"As marketers and retailers begin their holiday push, it's critical for them to understand not just where teens shop, but how they find out about new products," said Amy Gibby, President of eCRUSH. "This latest release of Teen Topix data once again confirms that today's teens are social beings who turn to the Internet to find out the latest information."
Teens will spend a combination of their money and "someone else's money'" this holiday season. However 93% of teens plan to spend "their own money" on at least one person. 28% of teens plan to spend "$100 or more" of their own money on their boyfriend/girlfriend, parents (20%), and even grandparents (18%) fall into the "$100 or more" club for these teens.
Teens were also asked what they wanted for the holidays. When asked to select from a list of holiday gifts they wanted, money topped the list (39%), followed by computers (30%), clothes (25%), and cars (24%). However, when asked about the "one" gift they wanted this holiday season, a computer (15%) topped money (12%) and a car (11%).
"The shopping behavior and spending patterns of teens, especially during the holiday season, is of great interest to marketers and retailers," said Bruce Friend, President for Media and Entertainment Insights for OTX. "As this study indicates, teens, like the rest of us, not only think in terms of products they want, but are well aware of and discriminating about the multitude of brands messaging directly to them."
When specifically asked about brands, Apple was the most cited brand in the music technology category, Dell was ranked #1 for computers/laptops, the Motorola RAZR phone led the mobile phone category, and Microsoft's X-Box 360 was the leading video game console, while Halo 3 was the leading video game. Abercrombie and Fitch was the clothing brand most teens say they want and when it comes to cars, Ford and Cheverolet brands were most cited.
Holiday Shoppers Are Encouraged to Learn About Latest Toy Recalls Before Buying
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), November 18, 2007 - With each week bringing new additional toy recalls because of high lead content and other potential dangers, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon is urging parents to arm themselves with information about the latest recalls when they go shopping or as they check the toys their children already have.
"Parents are rightfully concerned about the safety of their children when they hear about the recall of millions of toys, even toys from well-known companies," Nixon said. "Keeping up with the latest news of recalls is becoming increasingly complicated every week as more children's products are affected. My Web site is updated daily to include the latest recalls, and consumers can go there knowing they'll see the most recent recall information."
The list of recalled toys and other children's products can be found at ago.mo.gov, the Web site of the Missouri Attorney General. The listings also cover food, drugs, vehicles, tires and other consumer products.
At the same time, Nixon also is working with other state Attorneys General in looking at specific toy manufacturers and the overall problem of lead in children's products. Missouri is on the executive committee of a multi-state group that is looking specifically at toys from major manufacturers, and Nixon said his office also is part of a group of Attorneys General examining the larger overall issue of lead in children's products.
State Attorneys General are being compelled to move to the forefront of the issue of lead in children's products because of the size of the challenge and lack of action by the federal government, Nixon said.
"The Consumer Product Safety Commission is understaffed and underfunded to the point where, in practical terms, the only recalls that take place are where the company voluntarily informs the CPSC and voluntarily issues the recall," Nixon said. "The states are having to step up to look deeper into this growing problem that poses a threat to children's safety. We also are sending a message to the federal government: don't pre-empt the authority of the states to protect our citizens from dangerous products."
Nixon said under the current federal Consumer Product Safety Act, states are pre-empted from stricter enforcement regarding unsafe products in areas where a CPSC regulation exists. Nixon and other Attorneys General are taking a close look at two bills pending in Congress that address increased funding and other issues related to the CPSC. They support changes to the law that would specifically provide for state Attorney General enforcement of federal standards and traditional consumer protection remedies under state consumer protection statutes, Nixon said.
In the meantime, Nixon said, it is important for consumers to remain informed about product recalls.
"Children's products sold in the U.S. should be completely safe to use, no matter where the product was originally manufactured," Nixon said. "Unfortunately, we've seen too many products with excessive lead content that must be pulled off the store shelves or, worse, be brought back in by parents who already have purchased and used the unsafe products. I urge consumers to remain vigilant."
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