Wartburg College and KWWL will give students an interactive opportunity to learn more about election issues during “Youth Vote,” Tuesday, Oct 30.

The college and TV station will air the 90-minute program from the Wartburg Television studio from 9 to 10:30 a.m., with KWWL anchor Ron Steele and Wartburg Television’s Jacque Schutte moderating.

The program will be broadcast live on KWWL 7.3, a high-definition subchannel available on many cable systems, and on Wartburg’s Circuit (www.wartburgcircuit.org) with a studio audience of high school and college students.

It also can be accessed through UStream, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter with an interactive chat integrated into the broadcast, according to Travis Bockenstedt, Wartburg lecturer in communication arts.

The program will focus on four key issues — education reform, the economy and the national debt, job creation, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. Representatives from both political parties will be in attendance to answer questions from the audience and viewers, but not in a debate-like format.

Bockenstedt also expects representatives from the Obama and Romney presidential campaigns to participate, as well as those representing 1^st Congressional District candidates Rep. Bruce Braley, a Waterloo Democrat, and Ben Lange, a Quasqueton Republican.

Dan Schillinger, KWWL’s news director, said the program “is part of our mission to serve the people of eastern Iowa with news and information they need and want.”

“KWWL has had a long and fruitful relationship with Wartburg, and we see this as another way of using that relationship to benefit, not only Wartburg students, but young people all across Iowa, by giving them the information they need to be informed and thoughtful voters,” he said.

Bockenstedt has been coordinating the broadcast with Elkader-based Keystone Area Education Agency 1, which has promoted the program with its member schools and the other regional education agencies to watch and discuss in classrooms.  
College students also are encouraged to tune in.

“Our target is young people, ages 18-25,” Bockenstedt said, “but a lot of teachers will want to get their classes involved as a lesson in government and politics.”

Bockenstedt said Wartburg Television staffers will contribute “explanatory packages” to frame the issues.

In addition, the telecast will be coordinated with a special edition of the Wartburg Trumpet, the college newspaper, which will focus on the election issues, including editorial submissions from both parties.

Schools are asked to register for Youth Vote by October 22. To register, just go online at: www.wartburgcircuit.org/youthvote.