The Cal U community is invited to watch the presidential and vice presidential debates online and participate in conversations related to the 2020 election.
As candidates for president and vice president of the United States discuss the issues in a series of debates in September and October, Cal U students will be watching.
The university is participating in DebateWatch 2020, a series of “watch parties” and live discussions during the presidential and vice-presidential debates.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump will debate 9-10:30 p.m. Sept. 29, Oct. 15 and Oct. 22. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence will debate 9-10:30 p.m. Oct. 7.
DebateWatch2020 events are a partnership between the American Democracy Project — a network of 296 public colleges and universities, including Cal U — and the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Cal U students and other members of the university community will be encouraged to watch the debates and participate in real-time conversations and discussions related to the issues.
On Sept. 29, students, faculty and staff may participate in a moderated live discussion through Discord, a voice, video and text communication service.
The national American Democracy Project will host a follow-up discussion with students — “So What Did You Think of the Debate?” — noon-1 p.m. Sept. 30 via Zoom. Registration is required.
“We want to encourage our students to be informed and engaged in the democratic process prior to the Nov. 3 general election,” said Dr. Laura Tuennerman, director of the American Democracy Project at Cal U. “We also want to promote a civil, respectful exchange of opinions and ideas for our students.”
This year marks the fifth time Cal U has hosted a National Debate Watch event related to the presidential election. American Democracy Project events at Cal are being dedicated to the memory of Dr. Melanie Blumberg, founding director and professor of history, who died earlier this year.