Gilbert scores campaign forum

WINSTED — The Gilbert School’s political science class has organized a public forum to allow local residents and students to hear first-hand the ideas and campaign platforms of the candidates hoping to be elected governor this fall.

The forum, which will also feature a “meet and greet,†will take place Thursday, June 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the semi-private Winsted high school’s auditorium.

The political science class, led by Gilbert teacher Donald Goetz, has been working on putting together the event for the last several weeks after the idea for a public forum was first suggested to them during class visit by a local representative of the League of Women Voters.

The students first announced that they were working to put together the forum at the Gilbert School Corp. board meeting May 11.

Goetz told The Journal Wednesday that his students have been following the state’s gubernatorial campaign throughout much of the school year.

“Fortunately for the class, there were so many [candidates] several months ago that each student was able to follow one candidate,†Goetz said.

The students contacted each candidate through their Web site or campaign coordinator.

“They asked for campaign information and invited them to the event,†Goetz said.

Goetz said the first hour of the forum will allow local residents to meet and speak with this year’s current gubernatorial candidates or their representatives.

The remaining portion of the forum will be run by a moderator who will pose questions from the audience — as well as student-generated questions — to the candidates.

“We have also asked each candidate, even if unable to attend personally, to set up a table beforehand to distribute campaign literature,†Goetz said.

He added that even if all the major candidates are unable to attend, this will still be an opportunity for the political science students —  many of whom are first-time voters — to participate in the election process on a direct level.

“If our form of government is to continue, we need not only voters to vote, but even more important, we need voters to be informed and to devote time to reading and understanding issues and therefore able to choose the best candidates to solve those issues,†he said. “Some of the problems looming for this next generation are incredibly complex and will call for personal sacrifice.â€

This will be the second political event organized and hosted by the class this school year. Last October, the class hosted two separate candidate debates for last year’s muncipal elections: one for Board of Selectmen hopefuls and the other for the Board of Education.

The debates were co-sponsored by The Winsted Journal and moderated by Journal Editor Michael Marciano.

Goetz said the success of those two events led him to propose a third.

“Since the students did such a great job last fall with the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education forums, I proposed organizing a political forum on the state level,†he said.

For more information, contact Donald Goetz at The Gilbert School 860-379-8521, ext. 1313, or e-mail goetzd@gilbertschool.org.

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