“Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”<em>“Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”</em><br/><br/> “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”

This quote from the movie “Animal House” might not be the most inspirational, but Joe Watson, associate professor of mass media, used it as a way to inspire students at the faculty panel discussion Tuesday to educate themselves politically.

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Election 2012

“You have to really understand which candidate supports your view,” Watson said. “Use media and educate yourself.”

After overhearing students in her Liberal Arts 401 class talking about how they were not planning on voting, Zeta Phi Beta President Katerra Shackelford called Student Senate President Katie Thurbon and said, “We need to do something.”

From there, representatives of Mungano, Student Senate and Zeta Phi Beta sorority created the faculty panel discussion with the hope that students would receive advice from the Baker community.

“People say that they aren’t informed because they are too busy,” Shackelford said. “The media feeds to us what we want to hear, not what we need to hear. This discussion was a way for students to get honest answers about the issues and the process.”

In addition to Watson, five other faculty members were chosen based on their area of expertise. The other members were Carrie Coward Bucher, coordinator of student achievement; Marc Carter, associate professor of psychology; Alan Grant, professor of business and economics; Erin Joyce, assistant dean for liberal studies; and Leonard Ortiz, assistant professor of history.

The faculty members were asked questions by Shackelford to spur conversation with attendees, such as “what has been your best practice in determining the best candidate or party affiliate?” The members had differing answers based on their expertise.

Bucher said that understanding both sides is the most important part in determining whom to vote for. Joyce believed her experiences abroad prompted her to believe that the voting process is important. Grant, however, took a different stance.

“I think at a local level, your vote can count for something,” Grant said. “In the grand scheme of things, your vote doesn’t matter, but do it to feel good.”

While the faculty agreed that voting is important, they urged education on the matters, saying that an uneducated vote is a useless vote.

“It’s important to educate yourself on the issue,” Joyce said. “If you aren’t going to take the time to learn about the candidates, then voting for the sake of voting is something I do not advocate.”

Shackelford was happy with the turnout, saying she feared that there would be a lack of student involvement.

“This discussion wasn’t about giving students a candidate to vote for,” Shackelford said. “We wanted students to get honest advice and help them see a different perspective. It helped dispel some myths and I hope students will go forth and spread the ideas around campus with their peers.”

Mungano will also be hosting a debate watching party Tuesday in the Harter Union Lobby and a mock vote Oct. 29 in the Hartley Plaza.