To see it on television, the political process seems a dizzying display of sound bites, attack ads, staged events and giant balloon drops. Instead of hearing about the issues, we are bombarded with polls and personal scandals. But who are the people running for office and what are they really like?

The campus community has a unique opportunity to find out as several candidates visit the campus during October. Voters will have the opportunity to hear a more thorough discussion of the issues and to question the candidates about their positions.

Ä Democrat Pete Stark, running for his thirteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, will be on campus Thursday, Oct. 17. He currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Ä George Miller, a Democrat who has served as a U.S. representative since 1975, represents the 7th district, which includes the East Bay. Miller will speak Thursday, Oct. 24.

Ä Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is not up for re-election, will be on hand Thursday, Oct. 31. Boxer represents the San Francisco Bay Area as a Democrat in the U.S. Senate and has served since 1993.

All three lectures, sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Studies, take place in the Institute's library in Moses Hall and begin at 4 p.m.

Ä The Berkeley Faculty Association will sponsor a "Meet the Candidates" forum Tuesday, Oct. 22. The evemt will feature Democrat Dion Aaroner and Republican Sandy Muir, who are competing for the 14th district state assembly seat, and Thomas Hudson, a Republican running for state senate in the 9th district. The session begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Women's Faculty Club.

Ä Proposition 209 will be discussed at a conference sponsored by the Chicano/Latino Policy Project, Wednesday, Oct. 30. "CCRI and Affirmative Action: California's Future," features many UC faculty and begins at 3 p.m. in the Tilden Room of the Student Union.