THREE TOPICS TO BE ARGUED IN WILLIAM PITT DEBATING UNION WECHT/RODDEY FACE-OFF

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 7 -- This question, "How can the county executive make living in Allegheny County more appealing to young people?" and two others, will be argued as Cyril Wecht and Jim Roddey square off in a debate sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh William Pitt Debating Union (WPDU) Wednesday, Oct. 20 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Benedum Hall Auditorium, O'Hara Street, Oakland.

Student panelists and audience members will directly question the candidates. Wecht and Roddey also will debate these topics: "What is the true motivation of those who favor privatization of county institutions?" and "Should the position of county executive be a full-time job?"

The WPDU is a Pitt student organization involved in a wide range of debating activities, including two-person intercollegiate policy debate, international parliamentary debate and various forms of public debate. The WPDU has sponsored debates featuring Pitt students and community advocates on such topics as affirmative action, police brutality, same-sex marriages, sports stadium finance, "no-kill" animal shelters, drug control policy, school vouchers, and nuclear deterrence. Last year, the WPDU won a national award from the Cross Examination Debating Association for its public debating initiatives.

The Wecht/Roddey debate is co-sponsored by the Department of Communication, William Pitt Debating Union, University Democrats, University Republicans, and Pi Sigma Alpha. For information, call 412-624-8531.

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