By Jasmin Shirley and Madoussou Kone
A watch party for the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump was organized on Sept. 10 by the York College Office of Student Activities. The 9 p.m. event in the faculty dining room, which turned out to be the only presidential debate of this election season, was attended by students, faculty, and staff.
Jean Phelps, the director of Student Activities, believed that the event would help students engage in learning about the government and bring awareness to each candidate’s views on solving problems in everyday life. The event featured four speakers from the Political Science Department—Professors Michael Sharpe, Anthony Sparacino, Robin Harper, and Dean George White. CBS News also conducted short interviews with students about the event and whether they were registered to vote.
Pandora’s Box conducted short interviews before and after the event, asking students and faculty questions such as:
What concerns and issues were you hoping for each candidate to answer?
Monique Dawens, a Psychology Major and junior said that her concerns were about how the candidates would address poverty issues in the U.S., migrant concerns, and how they planned to reduce or solve these problems.
Micheal Valero, a Psychology major and junior, wanted to know more about the housing crisis, immigration concerns and plans to help Gaza.
Zara Farooa, a biology major and sophomore at York, said, “I believe this event was exciting and engaging for students to decide on their future, especially when it comes to understanding what the government plans to do for our community.”
How does who you vote for influence your future?
Joshua Micino, a first-year student, said, “Voting can make a huge impact on the decisions that affect issues world leaders are supposed to resolve.”
Dawens also said, “It’s important to have control over who is in office because it impacts the future you want, and complaining without voting won’t solve any issues.”
Valero added, “Voting matters because whoever is chosen will impact the economy and resources that affect me and millions of Americans.”
Alanzo Joseph, a Health Science major and sophomore, said, “Voting is a big concern because when Donald Trump was president, I didn’t feel that he helped society move forward. I want a candidate who will bring positive solutions to the issues we face in America.”
What part of the debate did you find interesting and why?
Both Professor Sharpe and Professor Sparacino said they were very attentive to both candidates’ views on certain issues and saw their personalities throughout the debate. Sharpe mentioned that he learned new things about Kamala Harris and her past work.
Micheal Valero noted that he found it interesting how one candidate deflected issues while the other focused on facts.
Phelps said she was incredibly happy with the turnout and enjoyed having discussions with students and faculty about the debate after it ended late that night.
