Students gathered in the KJ Red Pit for Common Ground’s “Politics and PJs:” a Trump vs. Harris presidential debate watch party. Common Ground student ambassadors provided snacks and encouraged attendees to wear their jammies.
The air of excitement was palpable as students packed the Red Pit. Before the debate even began, only standing room remained and eager students sat in any available spaces, including the floor, stairs, on tables or leaning against the back wall. As the debate started, viewers had already eaten all the snacks available, including Raisinets, Milk Duds and donuts. Students continued trying to pour into the Red Pit during the debate, with some leaving seeing that there was no space to watch.
When Chloe Root ’28 was asked why she attended the debate watch party and what she was most excited about, she said, “I like to have an informed vote. I also think the debates are now less about politics and more about entertainment. I’m looking forward to, hopefully, Trump getting humbled a little bit. I’m also just looking forward to seeing Kamala because I’m sure this is a huge moment for her.”
Abby Bundy ’27 shared her reasons for attendance and excitement, saying, “I think this election in particular is super important just because there are such vast differences in the policy of the two candidates, and obviously this is a biased answer, but in the morality of the candidates. I think it’s super important, especially for young people, to go and vote and also to keep them educated.”
The debate elicited strong reactions from watch party attendees. As Trump spoke throughout the debate, students frequently chuckled. The audience broke into hysteria when Trump called Harris a “Marxist” and stated that she wants “transgender operations on illegal aliens who are in prison.” Students clapped at many of Harris’ points, particularly when she argued that women should have control over their reproductive rights. Many applauded when Harris urged Americans to not “go backwards to the past,” but rather into a “new generation of leadership” and at her passionate closing statement. The room broke into commotion when Harris mentioned Trump’s prosecution after he brought up his opposition towards “migrant crime.”
During the watch party, some students took notes on their computers. Others were furiously texting their friends about their thoughts on the debate. Some students multitasked: finishing homework while tuning into the debate’s finest moments. Most students were intently focused on the screen, deeply engaged in the historical moment that felt like a comedy show to many.
Commercial breaks were full of chatter. The lively environment continued throughout the watch party to the end, when students broke out into applause and eagerly conversed with their peers as they left the Red Pit.
Before the debate commenced, students filled out an online Common Ground questionnaire in which they were asked how they heard about the watch party and to provide feedback on Common Ground events and future debates.
Common Ground student ambassador Andrew Hohmann ’26 remarked that “as a viewer, I love seeing Harris talk about specific policy points. But as a representative of Common Ground, it’s great seeing this many people come to our event, because this is the first one that we’ve hosted for students this year, and last year we only hosted one, and it was like a ‘come get food kind of deal.’ But this is a real event that we organized, and so many people came. It was packed, and we’re all very happy that it turned out that way.”
Student ambassadors are vital in helping Common Ground carry out events, where they serve as a liaison between students and the Common Ground team to advance Common Ground’s mission across campus: to explore cross-boundary political thought and complex social issues to prepare students for lives of active citizenship.
