Hofstra Gears Up for Sept. 26 Debate

The first time Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump square off against each other will be at Hofstra University.

Hosting a presidential debate is an honor that Hofstra has become accustomed to over the last decade: they hosted one of the three debates between Barack Obama and John McCain in 2008, and then again in 2012 when Obama was challenged by Mitt Romney.

The first Clinton/Trump debate, scheduled for Sept. 26, will be the third consecutive debate the university has hosted. In fact, it’s the only school in presidential debate history to have that honor.

Hofstra was on the list of backup locations to host the debate. It was given the honor by the Commission on Presidential Debates when the original school, Wright State University in Ohio, dropped out citing growing costs and security concerns.

The school usually has months to prep for hosting a debate. However, though the time has been limited to weeks, Hofstra has still managed to put together a program of events leading up to the highly anticipated event.

“It means that we’re doing everything more quickly,” said Hofstra Spokeswoman Karla Schuster. “We are fortunate that we’ve done it twice before, and we understand very well what the
Commission on Presidential Debates wants from us and what they need from us.”

While many of the programs will bring in the community at large, they’re really geared toward engaging the student body at Hofstra. Students will have about two and a half weeks from the start of class to the debate, and many professors will be utilizing that time to engage students in discussions about politics, media, social issues and more.

“The most important thing for the university is what this experience can mean for students,” Schuster said. “Students in 2008 and 2012 still talk about what it’s like to be on campus for something like this. That experience is not just about debate day. We want students to really understand and embrace their civic responsibility, and their civic power.”

The first notable speaker will be David Axelrod, the chief strategist for President Barack Obama’s campaigns. He will be part of a talk called “The Evolving Media and Political Landscape” on Sept. 13.

On Sept. 14, the school will be hosting a conversation with Bobby Jindal, the former Republican presidential candidate and former governor of Louisiana.

Sally Kohn, CNN commentator and Daily Beast columnist, will be at Hofstra on Sept. 21 to host a discussion called “In Defense of Political Correctness and Identity Politics.”

Other events include discussions on public education, the economy, factors affecting the election, Hillary Clinton’s historic nomination and more. For the complete listing of events, and more information about the debate at Hofstra, click here.

Photo: Patch File Photo.