Free pizza and soda are good ways to attract a crowd on campus, but in this election season, politics seems to do the trick as well.
About 40 students gathered at the Palo Verde East residence hall on the Tempe campus on Friday to watch the first presidential debate between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.
Twenty-four hours earlier, organizers Saman Golestan and Daniel Carr, community assistants at PV East, were unsure if the viewing party would take place. McCain called for the debate to be postponed while leaders hashed out a financial bailout plan.
“I was worried it wouldn’t happen, but it was a good decision that McCain made,” said Carr, a mathematics sophomore.
Carr said he was grateful for the donation of 20 large pizzas from Hungry Howie’s Pizza, as well as the support from the Residence Hall Association, the College Republicans and Young Democrats.
Golestan said he was hoping for a bigger turnout, but he got a positive response from students, laying the groundwork for future viewing parties.
It’s important students take part in the political process, especially because the issues in this election will directly affect future graduates, he said.
“Only one-quarter of 18 to 35-year-olds vote. That’s scary,” Golestan said. “Now it’s more important than ever. It doesn’t matter how they vote but that they be engaged. The risk is too great not to.”
Golestan and Carr, politically leaning to the left and right respectively, were a reflection of those in attendance, dividing their support between Obama and McCain almost evenly.
Pre-debate chatter filled the room, but students quickly became attentive as moderator Jim Lehrer launched into questions covering foreign policy and the economy at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss.
While the crowd at Ole Miss kept quiet as Lehrer requested, the students watching at ASU had their moments of vocalization.
The crowd was generally attentive, with only a few rumblings — one coming when Obama spoke on tax cuts and accidentally called his opponent Jim.
He may have mistaken McCain for the moderator, but quickly corrected himself.
The crowd also reacted when Lehrer pushed the candidates on financial changes that might result from the bank buyout, saying they weren’t answering the question.
There was also an outburst in support of McCain when the candidates were discussing Afghanistan and McCain said Obama didn’t understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy.
Maisah Khan, a member of the Young Democrats, said Obama showed his foreign policy preparedness at the debate. She was happy that Pakistan, which she said is not on anyone’s radar, got some coverage.
“What’s important is to have people talking,” said Khan, a conservation biology undergraduate. “The viewing party is a fabulous idea.”
Accounting freshman Corbin Smith said the viewing party was a good way to inform students about the candidates before they vote. Smith, a member of the College Republicans, said McCain showed his experience, putting Obama on the defensive.
“McCain backed himself up with solid facts, while Obama went over hypothetical points,” Smith said.
He said he would have attended the viewing party whether McCain showed up for the debate or not. If it had been only Obama on the stage at Ole Miss on Friday, Smith said he’d still watch to learn more about Obama’s policies.
“Every time there is a debate viewing party, I’ll be there,” Smith said. “Unless I’m terminally sick or dead.”
Reach the reporter at philip.haldiman@asu.edu.
