Students at Syracuse University Prepare for 2024 Presidential Election with Debate Watch Parties and Drinks

College students across Syracuse University are gearing up for the 2024 Presidential Election in the most college way possible: drinking while watching the presidential debate. 

From watch parties at the Orange Crate, to get-togethers in apartments, Gen Z is participating in the national conversation as they watch the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

“Kamala Harris should win because she appeals more to most Americans,” said Sheldon Stoney, a Syracuse University graduate from the class of 2023, “I care mostly about the economy and after seeing what Trump did to the economy, I can’t vote for him.” 

Stoney, 23, watched the debate with his girlfriend in their apartment. The couple played a drinking game while watching in which they took a shot of tequila each time Trump lied about something. 

“We had to stop playing in the first 20 minutes or so,” said Stoney. “There were so many lies tonight that we both just knew it would be bad for our health if we kept playing.”

Stoney said the couple took five shots each. Stoney voted for Trump in the 2020 Election and has recently switched party affiliation by registering as a Democrat.

Throughout the night, both candidates called their opponent out for lying.

“As I said, you're gonna hear a bunch of lies, and that's not actually a surprising fact," said Harris.

"There she goes again. It's a lie," said Trump after Harris said he would sign a national abortion ban if he were elected as President. 

While some turned the evening into an at home party, others decided to go out for their election night fun. 

“I couldn’t hear any of the audio, there were a lot of people around, but I read all of the live updates from Washington Post,” said Dan Eaton, a former SU student from the class of 2023, who watched tonight’s debate at the Orange Crate Brewing Company, a popular bar on campus. 

“I honestly don’t know who I’ll vote for,” said Eaton, 23, “Right now I’m leaning towards Kamala but anything can happen between now and November that could change my mind.”

“The most memorable moment tonight was Trump talking about the Democrats wanting to execute babies,” said Gabe Lipsitz, another SU student from the class of 2023, who live streamed the debate on his phone at the Orange Crate. Lipsitz, 23, is a registered Democrat from Orange, C.T. 

“I was reading the subtitles and I couldn’t believe what I just read,” said Lipsitz, “I bet that was the first time they’ve had to fact check a candidate on it being illegal to murder a newborn baby.”

Trump got called out by the moderators for falsely saying that in some states newborn babies are executed after birth. 

“Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That isn’t happening; it’s insulting to the women of America,” Harris said in response to Trump’s inaccurate statement.

For many voters, specifically younger ones, abortion is a top priority issue in this election. 

“This debate didn’t change my mind, it just made me more angry,” said Emma Bradley, a current senior at SU who said that abortion rights and student loan debt are the most important issues to her. 

Bradley, 22, is registered with the Independent Party and plans on voting for Harris in November. The SU senior watched the debate in her apartment with her six roommates while drinking cider and doing homework. 

“I am voting for Kamala,” said Julian Weinstock, an SU graduate from the class of 2024. Weinstock watched the debate alone in his apartment while staying up-to-date with the latest memes on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Weinstock, 23, said he voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 Election and that he is a registered Independent who does not vote based on party affiliation. 

“I don't vote for a misogynistic, racist rapist. Call me extremist, but, I don't think that that should be the person in power, in charge of everything. Nuclear codes,” said Weinstock.

For many college students, this November will be the first time they cast their vote in a presidential election. In a poll done by NBC News, half of Gen Z voters say they will vote for Harris in November. 

“It is very important for Gen Z to vote,” said Zoe Hansen, a current senior at SU.

“It’s important for our voices to be heard because it’s our future. We will be here the longest, so why should we not vote?” said Hansen, 23. 

With 55 days until Election Day, college students are becoming politically involved in any capacity.