Second Presidential Debate Watch Party Oct. 9 at UW

The University of Wyoming debate team’s second sponsored presidential debate watch party will be a town hall-style event Sunday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. in the College of Business auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Following the debate, Ryan Greene, the Democratic candidate for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House of Representatives seat, will field questions from students and members of the public for 30-45 minutes.

The town hall will begin with a live stream of the U.S. presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Snacks will be served 20 minutes before the televised event.

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 presidential debate Sept. 26 drew more than 250 UW students, says Travis Cram, director of forensics in the UW Department of Communication and Journalism.

“Town-hall meetings allow for clear and direct responses to the most pressing issues that voters care about, which allows for voters to be sure about their feelings about particular candidates,” says UW freshman Brent Lamb.

UW senior Arete Bond adds that town-hall forums allow for a more streamlined communication between citizens and potential candidates that traditional media coverage typically lacks.

The goal of the event is to draw connections from the debate to Wyoming and what Greene will do in Congress to represent the interests of Wyomingites, Cram says. He adds that an invitation was sent to Republican candidate Liz Cheney’s campaign, but it declined.

Students and audience members can submit questions to ask Greene by tweeting @WyoDebate.

The final presidential debate watch party is Wednesday, Oct. 19, followed by a panel featuring a discussion on foreign policy issues at stake in the election, including American responses to the crisis in Syria, and the growing tensions with major powers such as Russia and China, Cram says.

UW’s debate team also will challenge the University of Pittsburgh squad Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. The two teams will debate national energy policy issues. The free event is in the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, and refreshments will be provided.

For more information about any of the debates, email Cram at tcram@uwyo.edu.