There weren’t enough seats in PSU’s Vanport Room for everyone who showed up to Wednesday’s presidential debate viewing.
Jinyi qi/VANGUARD STAFF
THE VANPORT ROOM in Smith Memorial Student Union was packed with viewers during the first of four debates to be shown on campus.
The highly anticipated first debate between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney drew hundreds of students, faculty and community members to the third floor of the Smith Memorial Student Union.
“This went really well. It’s amazing that some people stood in the hall for an hour to watch the debate,” said Leslie Rill, an assistant professor in PSU’s Department of Communication, who organized the debate viewing.
Volunteers registered people to vote as they waited for free pizza in a line that snaked around the overflowing room. Several students lit up their laptops and smartphones to participate in a research survey that measured their take on a host of political issues, including their feelings about the candidates.
“I want to learn more about their policies,” said freshman Kelsey Stephens before the debate. “Especially Romney’s. I’m familiar with Obama’s policies.”
A call for clarification of the Republican presidential candidate’s positions was echoed throughout the crowd.
“I’ve heard a lot of bad things about Romney, and I wanted to see if they’re true,” freshman Michelle Wiseman said.
Others simply hoped for a substantive discussion about the issues.
“I’m just hoping to hear something other than sound bites, but I don’t know if that will be fulfilled,” senior Elizabeth Winship said.
The debate, which focused on domestic policy, gave the candidates ample time to spar over a handful of issues, most notably the economy, tax policies and healthcare. Applause was most pronounced when the president mentioned the importance of lowering college tuition.
Quips from both men drew laughter, but cheers were almost entirely reserved for Obama’s remarks, despite the national media’s consensus that Romney performed better during the debate. The absence of a pro-Romney feeling can perhaps be explained by the fact that the College Republicans student group held a separate, simultaneous debate viewing several floors below.
After the debate, some students’ views were only confirmed.
“I realized that a lot of the negative things I heard about Romney are true,” Wiseman said.
Others said Romney’s performance was better than they expected.
Freshman Kayla Green remained undecided. “I don’t know if it helped me decide, but it was good to hear more details.” She still wants more information about what each candidate will do for education.
Many students weighed in on the benefits of the debate format.
“I liked hearing from the candidates directly, without the media bias,” freshman Kristin Purdy said.
“It was different from what I expected. I took debate in high school, so it was interesting to see how the candidates debated each other,” said freshman Deston Filey, a probable Obama supporter.
Many students concurred, including senior Nic Lustic. He was more intrigued by the dynamic between the candidates than by anything else.
“It was interesting to see the candidates responding to each other, rather than to the questions. Obama did well with his wit,” Lustic said.
Others were not as impressed with the president’s performance, citing his interruptions.
Mandy Sansone, a senior, had strong words about the tone of the debate.
“It was basically a pissing match,” Sansone said.
“Romney seems like an impulsive speaker,” she added. “That’s going to get him in hot water as far as foreign relations are concerned.””
The debate viewing was sponsored by PSU’s Department of Communications; the Center for Women, Politics and Policy; University Studies; and Housing and Residence Life. ASPSU provided free pizza. PSU will continue to host viewing parties for the two remaining presidential debates and the vice presidential debate later this month—but in a room that will hold more people, organizers said.
“We had a great turnout—I’m excited about the level of interest. These viewings really do promote democracy and civic engagement,” Rill said.
Future debate viewing events will be held Oct. 11, 16 and 22, starting at 5:30 p.m. The vice president and his rival will debate on Oct. 11.