海角大神

Meet the voters who aren't sick of the presidential campaign

Monday's campaign debate was billed as a highly partisan clash between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. But at Hofstra University, which hosted the event, political debate among students has been mostly civil and political participation has been energizing. 

As they walked together through the pre-debate carnival in a Hofstra University parking lot on Monday afternoon, sophomores Kadeem Adrian and Tianna Watkins were marching with other students in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, chanting 鈥淣o justice, no peace.鈥�

But the march of some 30 students, many who held handmade political signs in support of other left-wing causes 鈥� 鈥淭here is no Planet B!鈥� 鈥� had a different kind of edge from similar protests so common on American streets today, as many were quick to say.

鈥淭he atmosphere on campus has been very calm, really,鈥� says Ms. Watkins, not too far from the the One.org inflated White House jumping playpen. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not too much tension between everyone, and everyone is just having fun right now. It鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get involved in everything and have fun and pay attention to this historic debate.鈥�

The testy clash between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump had been billed as a debate of Super Bowl proportions, and beforehand Hofstra cheerleaders and marching band were among the gaudy network TV stages 鈥� cheering, really(!), for the civic virtues of democracy rather than stormy partisanship. Despite the vitriol expressed about the candidates nationally, participation in the democratic process remains energizing, especially for the nation's newest voters.

Matt Baldassano, a second-year law student wearing a Trump/Pence T-shirt with other mostly male students, started chanting 鈥淏lue Lives Matter鈥� when fellow students marched by. And, yes, there were a few harsh exchanges, and Trump supporters were a conspicuous minority here.

鈥淏ut for the most part, everybody鈥檚 been pretty nice, no one鈥檚 gotten too angry,鈥� says Mr. Baldassano, as the marching band played a Lady Gaga song. 鈥淲e have had a few angry shouts, so it got a little divisive, you could say. But overall, it鈥檚 been pretty good around here 鈥� it鈥檚 just been democracy in action.鈥�

First-time voters

Indeed, most of the students, even seniors, will cast their first vote this November, and they saw today as a celebration 鈥� Go Pride! 鈥� both in the fact that Hofstra houses a leading center for presidential studies and has hosted a presidential debate for three consecutive election cycles. 聽聽

鈥淲e have some of the nation鈥檚 brightest, most altruistic, most public-spirited students in America,鈥� said Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz to the audience minutes before Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump took the stage. 鈥淵ou spend time with these young people, and you have to feel optimistic about the nation鈥檚 future. And we host this debate and the past two debates for them.鈥�

The students are younger, more fresh-faced Millennials than many of the exuberant聽Bernie Sanders supporters or Occupy alums or #NeverHillary progressives who chanted for a 鈥渞evolution鈥� over the past year. 聽

鈥淚 just turned 18; this is my first time voting,鈥� says freshman Cassie Passantino, from Wall Township in New Jersey. 鈥淚 mean, it鈥檚 stressful first to think, 'OK, this is my first time voting,' like, I really need to make sure I鈥檓 making the right decision.鈥�

鈥淏ut now that the debate is here, and I鈥檓 living through history and living through the third political debate on my campus and volunteering with it,鈥� she continues, 鈥渋t makes voting so much more exciting and you really kind of see the difference you鈥檙e making, now that you鈥檙e surrounded by this.鈥�

Anna Hogan, a senior wearing a Johnson-Weld T-shirt in support of the Libertarian ticket, doesn鈥檛 think the system was rigged against her candidates, even though they didn't meet the polling threshold to be included in the debate. There has to be some kind of qualifying cutoff, after all, but maybe 5 percent in polls rather than 15, she says.

鈥淭hen I think Gary Johnson and [Green candidate] Jill Stein should have a right to speak in the debates, and have America hear what they have to say,鈥� Ms. Hogan continues. 鈥淚f more people heard what they had to say, they would be, maybe, 鈥業 should look into this person more,鈥� and it could change a lot of things. I don鈥檛 think we should be limited to hearing just Clinton and Trump.鈥�

Eager to participate

Her friend, Christina Betances-Orrell, is undecided, leaning toward Clinton, and hoping the debate will help her decide what she wants in a president. But she鈥檚 been turned off, she says, that 鈥渢he country is split in so many ways, and this has caused a lot of conflict for people who feel so strongly about the candidates.鈥�

Nearly 7,500 Hofstra students, or more than two-thirds of the 11,000-member student body, entered a lottery for a few hundred tickets to attend the debate on Monday. And more than 800 students applied for the some 500 positions as volunteers, officials said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very interesting to be a part of this right now,鈥� says Ms. Watkins. 鈥淚 mean this is a crazy election, the candidates are very interesting in their own ways, it鈥檚 鈥�"

鈥溾�� it鈥檚 like a reality show 鈥� you don鈥檛 know who鈥檚 going to win,鈥� says Mr. Kadeen, who used a magic marker to write Black Lives Matter slogans on his white Hofstra T-shirt.

鈥淏eing a first-time voter, just as an American, it's my duty to exercise my right and use my voice,鈥� Kadeen says. 鈥淭o speak up for things that I believe in, and communities I feel are underrepresented and not given a voice. I mean, we are a democracy, so why shouldn't I use my voice and speak up for what I believe?鈥�