Cox, C-SPAN, Fairfax County High Schools and George Mason University Partner For 2008 'Campaign in the Commonwealth' Youth Education Tour

Cox, C-SPAN, Fairfax County High Schools and George Mason University Partner For 2008 'Campaign in the Commonwealth' Youth Education Tour

~ Thursday, Sept. 25 @ 8:30 a.m., West Potomac High School Mock Presidential Debate and Election ~

~ Friday, Sept. 26 @ 8:00 a.m., Oakton High School Mock Presidential Debate and Election ~

~ Friday Evening, Sept. 26 @ 8:00 p.m., George Mason University Debate Watch ~

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications Northern Virginia and C-SPAN Networks are joining forces to bring the Campaign in the Commonwealth Youth Education Tour to the region. The campaign, which will be held Sept. 25 and 26, gives upperclassmen at two Fairfax County high schools -- West Potomac and Oakton -- an opportunity to debate the platforms of presidential nominees Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ). After the debates, students will exercise their voting rights by casting computer ballots in a mock presidential election. They will also tour the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080717/NETH028LOGO )

The Youth Education Tour will also include a Debate Watch at George Mason University on Friday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. The Debate Watch, which coincides with the first official 2008 presidential debate, will include a panel discussion on the history, impact, and relevance of presidential debates and group discussions with panelists and students following the Obama and McCain debate.

"The democratic election process is one of the most powerful vehicles for change in our country," said Janet Barnard, senior vice president and general manager for Cox Northern Virginia. "With 2008 being a historic election year, Cox wants to engage area youth in the electoral process and encourage them to voice their opinions. We are excited to partner with C-SPAN, George Mason University, and West Potomac and Oakton High Schools on this important initiative."

The C-SPAN Campaign Bus, a 45-foot mobile production studio, is on the campaign trail to promote and enhance C-SPAN's comprehensive political coverage, traveling to major political events such as the recent Democratic and Republicans conventions and upcoming presidential debates. Look for C-SPAN's political coverage on the C-SPAN networks, C-SPAN Radio, c-span.org, or the one-stop 2008 election Web site, CampaignNetwork.org.

"With historic levels of interest in the 2008 campaign -- especially among the youth vote -- we are eager to hear from Virginia students about the issues important to them," said Erin Patton, C-SPAN marketing representative. "We look forward to welcoming students, teachers, elected officials, and Virginia residents aboard the C-SPAN Campaign Bus."

West Potomac High School Oakton High School George Mason University
6500 Quander Rd., 2900 Sutton Rd. Johnson Center, Atrium
Alexandria, VA 22307 Vienna, VA 22181 4400 University Drive,
Fairfax, VA

Thurs., Sept. 25 Fri., Sept. 26 Fri., Sept. 26
8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Program: Program: Panel Discussion on
- Mock Debate - Mock Debate History and Impact of
- Mock Election - Mock Election Presidential Debates

10 a.m. - Noon 9:30 a.m. - Noon 9 p.m. Debate Watch
C-SPAN Campaign C-SPAN Campaign
Bus tour Bus tour 10:30 p.m.
Group Discussions with
Panelists and Students

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with 6.2 million total residential and commercial customers. The third-largest cable television company in the United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large- sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates the Travel Channel. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com.

About C-SPAN

C-SPAN, the political network of record, was created in 1979 by America's cable companies as a public service. C-SPAN is currently available in 91 million households, C-SPAN2 in 84 million households, and C-SPAN3 in more than 15 million households nationwide. For more information about C-SPAN, visit or our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/campaign2008bus.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080717/NETH028LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Cox Communications Northern Virginia

CONTACT: Gwen Sparks, Cox: +1-703-480-4916 or gwen.sparks@cox.com, or
Erin Patton, C-SPAN: +1-202-262-9623 or epatton@c-span.org

Web site: http://www.cox.com/
http://www.myspace.com/campaign2008bus
http://campaignnetwork.org/
http://c-span.org/

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