Foreign policy, real-time debate talk and voting for the first time were the focus of High Point University students who gathered for a presidential debate viewing party on Oct. 22.
Nearly 200 students crowded The Pointe on campus to watch the debate while chatting with their peers and professors, including political science and foreign policy experts, about ideas and issues discussed by the candidates. They extended the conversation by tweeting their personal reactions using #hpudebate.
The viewing parties have brought out hundreds of students this semester and are primarily sponsored by the Democracy USA Project, in conjunction with other groups such as College Democrats, College Republicans and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Both the local Fox 8 affiliate and Fox News were there to capture interviews with facutly members and students regarding the youth vote.
“For people of my generation, one thing that you don’t know about (students) is the extent to which they’re going to get on social media and talk to their friends and colleagues about the ideas that they’re hearing tonight,” Dr. Martin Kifer, assistant professor of political science, told WGHP Fox 8 in a news interview. “I think you’d be impressed with the substance there.”
The viewing parties, however, are merely a snapshot of ways HPU students have been engaged in the election. Faculty and students officially launched the Democracy USA Project last spring, and civic engagement has been the focus in and outside of the classroom ever since. So far students have:
- Attended both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions – There, they engaged with political leaders and activists, hosted a religion and politics panel in Charlotte and more.
- Filmed a reality show called The American Dream Project – Student have conducted interviews with political leaders and local citizens about numerous issues related to the election including health care, job creation and more.
- Fielded HPU Polls – Four polls have been fielded so far this semester, and for many of those, students have served as live callers and recorded the views and opinions of North Carolinians. They will expand their reach to a national audience as they conduct their first national poll the in the coming weeks. HPU Poll results have been reported on many media outlets including The Huffington Post, The Washington Post and Politico.
The project will continue through the fall semester.