Debate party in Herrick
Cheers and jeers echoed throughout Herrick Auditorium Wednesday night during the final presidential debate as people reacted to Donald Trump’s controversial comment about rounding up all of the “hombres.”
It was a busy night for the country, as well as members of Sanjukta Ghosh’s Social Action and Political Activism class, who hosted a debate pizza party in Herrick Hall for anyone who wished to attend.
“They can come and watch the debate not alone, but with company, and also understand what the issues are, that was the main goal … but the other goal was for my own students to learn how to organize an event, to get excited about an event, and the different issues that are involved,” said Ghosh, head organizer of the event.
About 50 students attended the event, crushing Ghosh’s estimation of about 30.
“We worked really hard on the newsletter and we definitely got a better turnout then we expected, so that’s really nice,” said Matt Zitwer, a member of the class, and senior communication major.
“It’s always a good sign when you have more people than you have the food for. That’s a sign of a good event,” added Ghosh.
The debate party kicked off with an exciting and entertaining trivia game to engage the crowd in political thought. Questions like ‘What office did Hillary hold before running for president?’ and ‘How many of Trumps’ businesses have failed?’ were asked. There were even prizes like water bottles and lanyards handed out to those who participated and answered correctly.
Electricity, excitement, and the appetizing aroma of pizza filled the air as crowd members made it back to their seats while the debate began. Within the first few minutes, people had already found humor in the situation and were having a genuinely good time.
While a few people agreed with Trump on some matters, like when he made the claim that Clinton would never win the presidency, the room as a whole mainly agreed with Clinton’s ideas and what she had to say.
“Trump has been on the downslope. All Hillary has to do is not say anything stupid and she should be home free,” said Kinyenje Ngigi, a sophomore sports administration major, who is also a member of Ghosh’s class.
A lot of the audience members plainly disagreed with Trump throughout the night. People blurted out “he’s sick,” “that’s crazy!” and “look at his tiny hands!” One very passionate professor in the crowd even roared, “that’s bullshit!” to a claim that Trump had made.
Although there were many comments and opinions being made, people remained respectful of others’ beliefs and political views. Matters such as immigration, gun control, and women’s rights were the hot topics of the night.
Trump made a rather bold statement during the debate, claiming that “Hillary fought for the wall, she wanted to fight for the wall!” This lead to a mini-debate amongst the crowd, as people were either shocked, or found humor in his words.
Mary Franks, a freshman English minor, was very vocal about her opinions as the debate was taking place. When asked who she thought won the debate, Frank’s responded rather quickly. “Hillary Clinton won because she was backed by facts and what she was saying was relevant to the conversation and relevant to the country.
“I just hope that whatever happens, our country is okay.”