Ole Torp takes the host's chair when the University Library in Stavanger invites you to an evening to deepen your understanding of the election campaign in the USA.
Veteran journalist and foreign affairs enthusiast Ole Torp owns over twenty pairs of cowboy boots and has a passionate relationship with the USA. He has lived in this country twice, first as a foreign correspondent for Dagbladet from 1987-1990, and for NRK from 1998-2002.
Torp remains updated on American culture and politics and comes with a full magazine of questions.
Partying with Trump
Eli Nessa is one of few Norwegians who has partied with Donald Trump. The year was 1991 when 17-year-old Eli from Madla traveled to New York to participate in the model competition "Look of the Year." Trump was the host and sat on the judging panel that evaluated the appearance of the models, who could be as young as 14 years old.
The program also included a party on Trump's luxury yacht. It was a disappointment for Nessa, who described the party to NRK like this: "You saw older men drooling over young girls." Nessa has retired from her modeling career and now works as a university lecturer in journalism at UiS. She will come to talk about her encounter with Trump and share her thoughts on why such a controversial man has become so popular among Americans.
Sought-after USA Expert
Hilmar Mjelde's phone doesn't stop ringing during an election campaign in the USA. He is one of our most sought-after USA experts and a professor of political science at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Mjelde has, among other things, researched the Trump movement and the undemocratic development of the Grand Old Party - the Republican Party. The question we hope he can answer is: Can the American democracy withstand the stress test that Donald Trump represents?
Celebrity Culture
You can't avoid celebrities in an American election campaign. Donald Trump was himself a TV celebrity before becoming a presidential candidate, and several celebrities take sides in the election campaign to get their own fans to vote for a candidate. Many are curious if the world's biggest artist, Taylor Swift, will do so. With her millions of fans and progressive views, her support could be what Joe Biden needs to beat Trump. Professor of English Literature at UiS, Janne Stigen Drangsholt, will explain why celebrities are so central in American culture.
Report from the Homeland
Jacob Lee Tom was born and raised in Wisconsin. He moved to Stavanger to study in 2017 and is working on a PhD in history at UiS. This summer, he has been home visiting friends and family and promised to give us a report from his homeland. Are Americans as divided as the news suggests? And does he know who he will vote for on November 5th?
Mini-concert and bar
After the panel discussion, there will be a mini-concert with A Band – the region's best and hardest-working country trio. They play the sad but comforting American music you need when the world is falling apart.
Tappetårnet (the student bar at UiS) is a partner and will provide a bar from 6:30 PM. The discussion starts at 7:00 PM. The concert begins at 8:30 PM. Tappetårnet will serve until 10:00 PM.
