First Debate Watch Party at UW Sept. 26

Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump square off in their first televised debate, and the University of Wyoming and Laramie community can view the event on campus Monday, Sept. 26, followed by a panel discussion.

UW’s debate team is hosting watch parties for the three presidential debates between Clinton and Trump as a way to encourage UW students to become more informed about, and involved in, the 2016 presidential election.

The first debate watch party is at 7 p.m. in the UW College of Business auditorium, with snacks being served 20 minutes before the televised event. The theme of the post-debate discussion will be political communication and how the 2016 election departs from traditional understandings of political communication, says Travis Cram, director of forensics in the UW Department of Communication and Journalism.

The first expert panel will feature Kristen Landreville, an associate professor of communication and journalism who specializes in political communication; Jason McConnell, an assistant lecturer in political science who also focuses on political communication; and Beau Bingham, the director of UW’s Oral Communication Center.

“It is important for students to see the original debate in full and compare what they saw to the media’s spin and analysis without a filter,” Landreville says.

UW senior Brooklynn Gray encourages students to attend the watch parties.

“These events allow for students to create a dialogue where they are able to hear and voice opinions about what is going on in American politics right now,” she says. “It is helpful that the discussions will be held with similarly interested friends and peers.”

For more information, email Cram at tcram@uwyo.edu.