Chris Meagher

THE MEAGHER-DERATOR: A political junkie since his Michigan upbringing, Independent news reporter Chris Meagher (pronounced “marrrr”) — who penned this week’s cover story on the race between Rep. Lois Capps and challenger Abel Maldonado — takes that addiction one giant leap further this coming Tuesday, when he takes the stage of UCSB’s Pollock Theater in front of 300 people alongside political science professor John Woolley to moderate a debate between those two Congressional candidates. “Hopefully, minds will be made up because of this debate,” said an admittedly nervous Meagher, who’s also in his third year at the Santa Barbara College of Law. “And you might even see me dressed up!” The October 9 debate sold out within 24 hours of being announced, but there is an overflow room at Buchanan Hall, or you can watch it live online at independent.com, starting at 7 p.m.