By Lillian Glaros and Keira Hardesty
Dozens of University of Maryland students attended watch parties across campus Tuesday for the first and only expected vice presidential debate between Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).
Several academic departments, along with the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement and the Black Girls Vote student organization, co-hosted a watch party in the Shoemaker Building to promote student engagement. The departments co-hosted a similar watch party for the Sept. 10 presidential debate.
Student groups across the political spectrum also held multiple watch parties in Stamp Student Union and campus academic buildings.
Periloux Peay, an assistant professor in the African American and Africana studies department, said one of the event’s primary goals was to educate students about each of the vice presidential candidates, who are often “overshadowed” by their presidential running mates.
“It’s often a good thing to see what a second-in-command would do,” Peay said.
[Hundreds of UMD students gather for presidential debate watch parties across campus]
Seven Forson, who attended the watch party, said she hoped to better understand each candidate’s platform as November’s election rapidly approaches.
“This is not joke around time,” the sophomore American studies and public policy major said. “I don’t want to hear who did what, I just want to know policies.”
This university’s College Democrats organization hosted a separate debate watch party at Stamp Student Union, while the College Republicans student group watched from LeFrak Hall.
College Democrats plans these events because the debates are more enjoyable to watch as a group, according to club president Eli Brennan.
Lucas Ballmer said he attended the College Democrats event because he appreciates the sense of community the watch party created.
“The big thing is really to be in a community and be able to witness this and talk about it, and really be together for a moment like this,” said Lucas Ballmer, a junior computer science major.
Ethan Vinodh, College Republicans’ president, said the club hosted the watch party to help students learn about important issues.Student engagement is crucial for these types of discussions and events, the junior cell biology and genetics major said.
Debate fact-checking procedures and moderation were key issues at the College Democrats and Republicans watch parties.
[UMD initiative encourages students to become poll workers in upcoming election]
Brennan, a senior public policy major, said he was “disappointed” in the moderators’ level of fact-checking on Vance during the debate and thought they should have done more.
Students at the College Republicans watch party had mixed opinions on the debate’s moderation.
Peyton Steinberg, a sophomore government and politics major, said it was “pretty down the middle,”while Avi Frost, a sophomore physics major, said the moderation seemed slightly biased in favor of Walz.
Vinodh said that while he wished foreign policy was more of a focal point, Vance won the debate against Walz because he fact-checked the moderators and answered questions directly.
“I think Vance blew Walz out of the water,” Vinodh said.
Jonah Roseman, a sophomore geographical sciences,, said although he considers himself a Democrat and supports Walz, Vance did a good job in the debate. Both candidates performed well, he added.
“Both of them are being respectful to each other and I can appreciate that,” Roseman said.
