King's students to host London Mayoral Debate on October 8, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 25, 2014

London, ON- King’s students in Social Justice & Peace Studies and Political Science with support from the King’s Debate Society present the King’s Mayoral Candidates Debate on October 8, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the Kenny Theatre, Darryl J. King Student Life Centre, 266 Epworth Ave, London.

Confirmed participants include mayoral candidates Matt Brown, Roger Caranci, Paul Cheng and Joe Swan. The debate will be moderated by King’s students. Questions will be taken from students and the audience. Themes include transit, housing, employment, city services and the environment.

This debate is open to the public and King’s is pleased to welcome the larger London community to campus in the interest of civic engagement. Doors will be opened at 6:30 p.m. Seating is on a first come basis. A reception will follow in the Garron Family Learning Lounge adjacent to the theatre where candidates are also invited to set up displays.

“With this event we have two goals: to begin to make the municipal policy-making process more accessible to students and youth, while highlighting the relevance of municipal government to our lives and to send the message to policy-makers that students, and the issues that affect them, are important. Too often youth are seen as uninformed and apathetic, neither of which accurately describes my peers at King's,” says Patty Mockler, a student organizer from the Social Justice & Peace Studies program.

“We want to encourage students to be engaged in municipal politics and to have confidence to raise the issues they believe impact them most, “says Dr. Allyson Larkin, Assistant Professor in Social Justice & Peace Studies at King’s. “This is particularly important in London where students’ contributions and choices have the potential to impact so many aspects of London’s future.  Engagement is one avenue to retaining the youth who are educated in London.”

King's is a publicly-funded Catholic post-secondary institution founded in 1954.  King’s provides general and honors degree programs in the liberal arts, social sciences, business, and a master's degree in social work. Institutionally-autonomous, King’s is academically-affiliated with Western University. King’s is open to students of all faith backgrounds, with its community centered on the principles of social justice and the education of the whole person. 

For more information please contact:  

Jane Antoniak
Manager, Communications & Media Relations
King’s University College
communications@kings.uwo.ca
519-433-3491 x 4384
519-719-9366
@kingsatwestern
www.kings.uwo.ca