HANNAH JOHNSON
Special to The Leader
On Thursday night, room G103C of the Williams Center was filled with many emotions. Fredonia’s Democracy Initiative club held a debate watch party, which was open to all views and people.
The club set out free ice cream and faced the tables toward each other to make the room feel more personal. With four e-board members and about 10 active members, the club is filled with young and active voters.
After speaking with Secretary Victoria King, the club’s goal of civic engagement became very clear.
King immediately asked me if I was registered to vote, as that is an event the club holds to get people involved.
“We started last year to promote civic engagement. The main goal is to inform, not debate. We hold informational meetings bi-weekly,” said King.
As the debate came to a start, the room filled with people of all ages.
Some students sat outside, sporting memorabilia supporting President Trump.
As they walked in the room, they received some negative feedback, but overall the room remained calm. In an interview with club President Alia Hanai, she acknowledged the obvious Trump supporters at the event.
“We encourage all views, and I love that this felt like a safe enough environment for them to show up and express their views,” said Hanai. “We have to look at people as individuals instead of beliefs.”
The strongest point of the debate was on the topic of gun violence.
One participant did a standing ovation when Kamala Harris spoke on President Trump’s way of handling shootings going on in the country.
“He didn’t pull the trigger, but he tweeted out the ammunition,” he said.
The man denied a sit-down interview but left with a few words, “Vote him out; it’s your future.”
In another interview, a man named Andrew chose not to share his last name. Andrew wanted to share how much politics have changed since he was young. He was shocked at how many young adults showed up on a Thursday night to watch a political debate.
“When I was younger, all we had to worry about was Vietnam, none of my friends or myself cared too much about politics. Now a days it’s very important for the youth to get educated and vote smartly,” he said. “To me, this debate ran smoother than a Repulican debate. Democrats cohesively debate, and points come across smoother.”