My third, and favorite thus far, event was the election results viewing party. I had already attended the first and third debate watching parties, and this event really seemed like the culmination of those. The debate parties had refreshments, but the results party had the normal refreshments and beverages with pizza as an added bonus, and a lot of it because the turnout for this event was rather impressive. Much like the debate viewings, the projector was set up with a livestream of the results from CNN. Updates, analysis, and projections from every election came pouring in. I truly will never forget this event. Everyone in that room was watching history. We were watching a new leader be chosen by the American people state by state. Many may find this boring, but I found it positively riveting. It really felt special, like we were watching one of the most significant events of our lifetimes.
This crowd’s political views seemed to be a tad more diverse than the viewing parties had been. The table I was at actually had far more Trump voters than Hillary voters, with a ratio of seven Trump to two Hillary. Because of this, the cheers were less one sided. Each time a state’s result was announced, there was a mix of reactions from the crowd. For some, relief. For others, total terror. Many are quite scared of what a Trump presidency may bring, so as it became increasingly clear that all the polls and predictions were wrong, there was a distinct tension that became apparent in the room. People on both sides were a little more anxious, some excited, but everyone seemed to be aware of the gravity of what they were witnessing. I did not stay for the results as I’m one of the people who are a little nervous about the president-elect, so my roommate and I dejectedly decided to view the rest of the results in our dorm. Be that as it may, it was still an unforgettable event and I still had a great time (for most of it).

My second event at Stockton University was the viewing party for the third presidential debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. I attended the first one and missed the second. The event was run pretty much exactly like the first, and I assume second, party was ran. Refreshments were provided, debate bingo was played (and I won!), and, of course, the debate was projected onto the big screen. A much needed improvement of the first party was that the audio was much better. It was quite hard to hear at the first viewing party, and everyone in attendance needed to keep extremely quiet if the audience wanted to hear what the candidates were saying. These parties really excited me because of the environment they provided. Watching the debates were mandatory for class, so being able to join a big group with fellow students was really awesome.

Overall, I enjoyed the third viewing party even more than the first! It was really exciting to watch. I had never been in to politics before, as I really felt it was futile to keep up with them, because it can be daunting, and because before this year I did not have a vote, so I really didn’t see the point. I’m so glad I got interested this year though, and I credit Stockton University for really moving me to actively engage in this election. I was so interested with the process, the candidates, the ups and downs, and just everything about the election process in this nation. So much so, in fact, that I have decided to declare a minor in political science. It was really a blast to be a part of this event. The majority of the crowd was seemingly very liberal, which I expected. Clinton’s victories earned her rapturous cheers, while Trump’s blunders garnered him laughs and jeers. Being liberal myself, I fit right into this environment, but I would’ve rather had a more even split of views, as I think diverse schools of thought and civil discourse are the only way to get anywhere in politics.

Flynn Altomare

G T Lenard

Life of the Mind

30 September 2016

Stockton Events 1

I attended the first Presidential Debate Watching Party on Monday, September 26 in the Board of Trustees Room. The event consisted of debate bingo, refreshments, and, of course, a stream of the first Presidential Debate between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The debate was projected on a large screen and many Stockton students watched eagerly as the candidates verbally combatted each other on a variety of different topics and issues relevant to our nation. The event started at 8 and lasted a little under three hours. Topics discussed by the candidates included national security, race in America, and the direction the nation was headed in, among many other things. The debate moderator was NBC anchor Lester Holt. Holt was criticized by many in attendance of the event for not being able to control the debate. There seemed to be a pretty clear bias in the room, with most students appearing to favor Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Due to this, it was apparent that both during and after the event, many in the Board of Trustees Room thought that it was Hillary’s night. The general consensus appeared to be that Clinton had scored a clear, decisive victory against her opponent.

I enjoyed the event tremendously. As someone who was planning to watch the debate already, it was nice to be able to watch it on a large screen with other interested members of the Stockton community. Everyone was very respectful, which was important because if attendees became too loud no one would be able to hear what the candidates were saying. I believe watching the debates is very important for those who plan to vote, so it was great being able to go to an event screening it. It was well run, a lot of fun, and I definitely plan on going to future debate watching parties at Stockton University.