Oakland University's Campus Talks Politics Ahead of GOP Debate

Despite the morning rain, there was an air of muted excitement Wednesday as organizers at in Rochester and GOP officials began setting up for tonight's Republican presidential candidates debate.

The road to the O’rena Activities Center was closed to everyone except debate workers and the media Wednesday morning as TV news crews began setting up for and patrol cars from the Oakland University police, Detroit Police and even Macomb County law enforcement patroled the area.

Anticipation for the debate, to air starting at 8 p.m. CNBC as  was building on campus as students began gearing up for watch parties and special events.

Joshua Cline, president of OU’s College Republicans, was rushing around the Oakland Center on Wednesday morning preparing for the group’s Debate Reception, to be held from 3-5 p.m. in the Oakland Room on campus. Republican presidential primary candidate Mitt Romney was scheduled to attend the event but canceled Tuesday due to scheduling conflicts, Cline said. Instead, the event will be headlined by U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra, who has announced he will run against Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, in 2012.

The College Republicans event is open to the public, Cline said, and he hopes the reception and debate can help galvanize what he considers a generally apolitical student body. “It’s mostly because it’s commuters,” Cline said of the OU student body. “Most students just get here in their cars, go to class and then leave.”

The same level of apathy goes for the Republican opposition as well, said Cline, who graduated in June 2011 with degrees in nursing and political science and stayed on through this semester with the College Republicans to help coordinate events surrounding tonight's debate. 

OU’s College Republicans has a mailing list of approximately 140 students and typically sees five to 15 students per meeting. The College Democrats group is around the same size, he said, and suffers from the same ebb and flow of interest.

Cline said one pervasive mood among the student body is agitation — over the inconvenience and parking. “Parking is already hard enough here,” Cline said. "Most people feel inconvenienced, which is disappointing."

OU’s Chief of Police Samuel Lucido noted in an email to students that despite the debate, university operations and class schedules will, for the most part, be conducted as usual.

Still, the Recreation and Athletics Center (RAC), as well as the O’rena, is closed Wednesday, as is Pioneer Drive from Ravine to just south of the Parking Lot 26 (P-26) entrance. .

"It's really cool how they've put this on OU's campus. They could have had it at the Silverdome if they wanted to probably draw more people, but this is something which puts the school on the map," said Jason Newman, 18, a resident of Vandenberg Hall who originates from Houston, TX. "It's something which I can kinda write home about. I knew coming here it was a small campus and that everyone commutes, but this is a big-time event."

Friend and fellow freshman Jason Brown agreed with Newman, adding that he's generally unfamiliar with the issues at hand.

"I just know that Republicans are here, and obviously, that media is covering it heavily. I don't really know what they're talking about, but I do think it's great that they're bringing this to students, because it might get us interested. Politics is generally geared toward older people — the issues which are discussed. No students would even think about going if it weren't on campus," the 18-year-old said.

Lisa Stoddard, a Rochester Hills resident, 1992 OU alumna and political campaign worker visiting OU for the debate, said that after speaking with several students, she thinks there was some disappointment more students weren’t allowed at the event itself.

Only 60 student tickets — out of a total of 1,400 available — were distributed through a lottery during the weeks leading up to the event.

Stoddard noted that OU is full of undecided voters. “These kids vote,” she said. “It’s important to get them involved.”

Cline agreed: "I keep telling people to get involved. If you don't get involved, you won't be heard."

> Complete coverage of the GOP debate

West Bloomfield Patch Editor Timothy Rath contributed to this report.