On the evening of Sept. 29, about thirty students sat in the University of Idaho Wallace Residence Center basement watching President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden debate topics from Supreme Court justice selections and tax returns to vaccines and the environment.
Only students living in university housing were allowed to attend due to COVID-19. CDC guidelines applied, so food and drinks were not provided and the seating area was well-distanced and sanitized during and after the event.
The crowd of 30 students was unexpected, Nicholas Ketchum, the resident director of the Student Success Program, said. The event was hosted so students could see both sides of the political spectrum. Even if neither Trump or Biden exactly fit a student’s ideals, one of the candidates may come close, Ketchum said.
“Don’t think of voting as a taxi service,” Ketchum said. “Think of it as a bus service. If the bus doesn’t go exactly where you want to go, don’t just give up and walk there. You hop on the bus and get as close as you can to where you’re trying to go, and then you can try and get another bus or call a taxi or walk the rest of the way.”
Freshmen Skylar Raymond and Elsie Wilson came to the event because they felt it was important as first-time voters to get involved and have a better understanding of both parties’ views.
Those who do not consider themselves either a Democrat or a Republican can still make a difference, Ketchum said. Voting gets people involved in their community, and encourages others to vote, like a snowball effect.
“I could have just watched this (debate) in my dorm because of COVID-19, but I wanted to see people’s reactions around me,” Annika Esau, a senior computer science major, said. “I had never watched a full debate before. I thought about the issues more and changed how I saw them.”
Ketchum said it is important that students be educated and informed voters.
“If there’s any change you want to see, go vote,” said Ketchum. “Get your voice heard.”
The Department of Student Involvement is putting out of voter information on topics from voting basics to more complex information before the election.
Those who missed the debate can find recordings on YouTube, C-SPAN or mainstream news websites like CNN or NBC. The next two Presidential Debate Watch events will be held Oct. 15 and Oct. 22.
Kim Stager can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @journalismgoals.