PITT DEBATING UNION TO HOLD FORUM ON "FIFTH/FORBES" ISSUE

PITTSBURGH, April 28 -- As part of the Eastern Communication Association Convention, the University of Pittsburgh William Pitt Debating Union (WPDU) is sponsoring a debate about the Fifth/Forbes revitalization plan on Saturday, April 29, from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m., in the Westin William Penn Hotel Ballroom, Downtown.

Organizers chose the discussion topic, "Will the proposed revitalization of downtown Pittsburgh create desirable public space?", to stimulate public discussion about how proposed changes in the architecture of downtown Pittsburgh are likely to create new public spaces, and how these spaces might shape the civic fabric of the community.

Forum participants include Harry Finnigan, executive director of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership; Tom Cox, Pittsburgh's deputy mayor for policy and development; Arthur Lubetz, architect and adjunct professor of architecture at Carnegie Mellon University; Terry Necciai, Golden Triangle Community Development Corporation; and Thomas Kane, former associate professor of communication at Pitt. Gordon Mitchell, Pitt assistant professor of communication, will moderate.

The WPDU is a 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. One of the oldest organizations of its kind in the nation, the Union is housed in the Department of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh.

In past years, the WPDU has sponsored debates on topics such as the campaign for Allegheny County Executive (October 20, 1999); school vouchers (March 23, 1999); drug control policy (March 1, 1999); no-kill animal shelters (November 16, 1998); sports stadium finance (October 23, 1997); and Pittsburgh's citizen police review board (March 19, 1997).

The debate is free and open to the public. For more information, call

412-624-8531 or 412-624-6567.

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