Students at Hofstra were given the opportunity to enter a lottery to win tickets to the upcoming presidential debate; however, many question how this contest will work.
Colin Sullivan, the Director of Communications at Hofstra University, said that with the short amount of time the University was given to prepare, Hofstra asks everyone to be patient and flexible regarding the lottery.
“The number of students attending the lottery is pending. Each year, they let us know really close to the event. President Rabinowitz has made the decision that absolutely every seat we get in that room goes to a Hofstra student. This year is a little different because 15 students from Wright State University will get tickets to the Debate, as this was the school that was supposed to be hosting the first debate,” Sullivan said.
Jean Peden Christodoulou, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, said that the lottery is completely computer generated at random. The only requirements to enter the lottery are that students must be registered, matriculated students at Hofstra, they must be taking at least six credits and they must be registered to vote if eligible.
“We consider it an extraordinary privilege to be able to attend the presidential debate, and we want the students who participate to be engaged in this democratic process,” Peden Christodoulou said.
This news was especially exciting for international students, many of whom are interested in topics discussed at the debate which will concern them.
Raffela Tonani, a freshman journalism major, is from Lima, Peru, where voting is a mandatory part of their political process.
“I think it’s amazing seeing people our age feel a civic duty to go out and vote because they want to, not because they have to. We are here for four or five years, so this is our home so we should know what’s going on because it’s going to affect you in some way. As a journalism major, I feel strongly about the power of informing the public and being informed. So international students definitely should pay attention to the debate,” Tonani said.
Many international students agree that there is a riveting political stir surrounding this election that is just too hard to resist.
Psychology major Sasha Singh, a sophomore from Millhill, North London, said, “I’d definitely be interested in attending the debate because politics in America are quite crazy this year, and they’re much more controversial than English politics.”
“I would be interested in attending the debate because it’s such a historical event and all the tension that’s been built up interests me,” Miguel Mariscal said. Mariscal is a native of Cochabamba, Bolivia, and is a sophomore studying industrial engineering.
Junior Sarah Gerwens of Germany is a psychology major. She said, “Their [the candidate’s] commentary on foreign policy, of course particularly interests me. Take, for example, Donald Trump’s remarks about NATO. That is something which could and would have real-life consequences for Europe. Additionally, I also have an eye on the divisive and at times outright hostile tone of the political discourse, since I fear that this might be a precursor of similarly divided and heated debates back home. Elections in America matter for the rest of the world. Especially now, when each candidate brings with them a very different outcome for U.S. foreign policy.”
Several international students expressed concern about the outcome of this 2016 election, feeling as if they are the subjects of a heavily emphasized political conversation being discussed all over the country, foreign policy.
“Hillary Clinton has been an avid supporter of the Bangalian people. For years, she has been helping out with humanitarian efforts including UNICEF. After we finish school we have to get an H1 Visa, which is basically a work permit. But if Trump wins, then I think that will be harder to achieve,” Ash Durjoy said. Durjoy is a sophomore marketing major, whose home is Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Others expressed almost identical feelings including sophomores Tamara Ishamova of Moscow, Russia, and Ziad Al Zayer of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Ishamova said, “In Russia, my extended family views Trump as a bridge to gain better relations between Russia and the U.S., but I’ve googled and read all his policies. If he becomes president, then that would impact me because I’m an immigrant and I’m trying to become a citizen, so if he changes immigration policies, then that would affect me directly.”
Al Zayer commented on Clinton’s involvement with Saudi Arabia. “I think Saudi generally supports Clinton because she is a close ally … and has been working on foreign policy with us for about 35 years.”
Among all the buzz and excitement over the debate next week, Hofstra is giving students as many chances as possible to get involved. Students have several opportunities to listen to an extraordinary speaker series, special classes have been offered to follow the election process and of course, students are able to volunteer during the debate.
Each student agreed that being able to experience the democratic process this personally is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I think it’s really cool for an international student to be here at Hofstra, because [of the] firsthand experience at how our country handles a presidential election,” Sullivan said. “They made the right call to come to Hofstra during any of the debate years because of that experience. You can study it, you can understand it and you can watch the news, but to really see it live in action with your own eyes allows students to have a completely different understanding of how everything goes down.”