In the weeks leading up to and including the vice presidential debate, a multitude of reporters and cameramen will descend upon the Wash. U. campus. Students will be presented with a rare chance to contribute to the national political dialogue, and this unique opportunity should not be wasted.

Although the University bears much of the responsibility for ensuring the success of the debate (as Student Life has pointed out before), this does not mean that students do not have their own roles to play. Local and national news media representatives will want to know what Wash. U. students have to say about the debate and the election, and it will reflect badly on the University, our students and college-aged people in general if students are at a loss for words or behave immaturely. So when Chris Matthews asks you which candidate you support and why, or what you think should be done about health care or global warming, you’d better have done your homework.

Reading the news on your own is of course a helpful way to do this, but students should also be aware that there are many resources and events on campus that can help you become informed. Students who feel as if they know too little to make a difference should take advantage of these events, many of which can be found on the Gephardt Institute for Public Service’s Web site.

Still, students shouldn’t worry too much or treat this as a burden. Most likely, only those students who take some initiative in approaching the media will have to answer serious questions. Furthermore, many reporters will probably be particularly curious about the issues that students care about the most. While it is certainly good to have a comprehensive knowledge of the important issues facing the country, demonstrating a thoughtful position on an issue you care deeply about will be more productive and impressive than rattling off a list of policy proposals.

The media presence will also offer many opportunities for students to effectively and actively campaign for the issues and positions that are most important to them. With all the cameras around, vocal student demonstrations of opinion are unlikely to fall on deaf ears. Such a large microphone is a real opportunity for students to influence the public discourse.

However, this also means that students with nothing substantial to say should not interfere with the discussion. Ad hominem diatribes against political opponents and unserious arguments about policy will only waste the opportunity afforded to our university to shine in the national spotlight. Worse still, this sort of behavior would only encourage the stereotype that college-aged voters are apathetic, immature and uninformed. During the buildup to the debate, students will have a chance to remind people that we’re not in Washington state. We should do our best to ensure that they remember us favorably as well.