Members of three ISU political student organizations plan to debate a variety of current issues Thursday night.

The debate among ISU Libertarians, ISU College Republicans and ISU College Democrats is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. The event was organized by the ISU €ollege Democrats.

“There are a lot of hot topics that are going on right now that will probably be solved by the time the school year starts, we wanted to hit them now,” said Justen Jones, a member of the ISU Democrats and freshman in political science.

He said issues that could be discussed include the recent debate about President Bush’s judicial nominees, gay marriage, the Patriot Act, Iraq and the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling which allows land taken with eminent domain to be given to private organizations.

Jones said exact questions are not known because they were left up to the debate moderator, Dirk Deam, lecturer in political science.

“Questions will range across matters of general public affairs and concerns at the national level,” Deam said.

He said he hopes to ask about 20 questions, although the number of questions and length of the debate are not yet known. The format of the debate will include an audience question and answer session, as well as a traditional debate between two representatives from each group, Jones said.

“We are going to have a question given to one group, then the other two groups will be able to rebut,” he said.

Jones said the ISU Democrats hope for a balanced audience of about 100. The debate will be free and open to the public.

Nicole Woodroffe, president of the ISU College Republicans, said two members have been selected to attend, although the group does not expect to see a high turnout at the event.

Woodroffe said Jonathan Bracewell, junior in political science, and Don McDowell, sophomore in political science, would represent the republicans at the event.

Jones said he would represent the democrats, along with group president, Drew Larson, senior in accounting.

Jeremy Oehlert, president of the ISU Libertarians and Daily columnist, said he and Jeremy Alm, graduate in mathematics, plan to represent the Libertarians at the debate.