On Tuesday, September 10, a record number of students gathered to engage in political discussions during a 20-year Neumann tradition- “Pizza and Politics.”
Held at Sora Luna Lounge, the event was organized by Dr. Robert McMonagle’s POLSC-203 State & Local Government class and has taken place on campus every other year since 2004.
According to Dr. McMonagle, students separated into three teams and began their work planning the event. The responsibilities of the teams were voter registration, event planning and education, and promotions.
“Students only had two weeks to organize this event, in contrast with 6 weeks for past elections- primarily because the Harris and Trump campaigns held the debate early,” said McMonagle.
The event followed the schedule outlined below:
8:30-9:00 p.m.- State & Local Government students present the debate and highlight important issues to watch for.
9:00-10:30 p.m.- Participants watched the live debate.
10:30-11:00 p.m.- State & Local Government students organized a town hall
Gathering over 75 student participants, Pizza and Politics was wildly successful and even received attention from CBS 3 News, NBC 10 News, and WHYY.
On September 11, Dr. McMonagle was joined by two of his POLSC-202 students to speak with NBC 10 News about the first, and potentially only, debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
In the interview, both students said they still had questions following the debate, especially regarding Harris’ plans for the economy and immigration.
In an interview with CBS 3 News, McMonagle presents some interesting statistics found by one of his students in a pre-debate poll.
- Most students in the room were supportive of Harris over Trump
- Nearly 1/5 of the student participants were planning to vote for an independent, third-party candidate.
The 2024 Presidential Debate acquired over 67.1 million viewers, and a large part were undecided in their voting choices.
“I still plan on voting for the candidate I initially had in mind, but I want to emphasize to my peers how important it is to care about and participate in this election,” said sophomore political science student Eloni Banks.
During a highly publicized election, such as this one, youth voter registration and turnout are more important than ever, especially in swing states such as Pennsylvania. According to Penn-Capital Star, in 2020, voter turnout among 18-to-29-year-olds in Pennsylvania was at 54%.
With over 12.97 million total residents, Pennsylvania will be a crucial and worthwhile state that either candidate should want to win.
“We are at such a divisive state in our national government that it is crucial for my peers, and other young voters, to go out and participate in this year’s presidential election,” said Brenna Barker, a senior political science & secondary education major. “These election turnouts will influence policy that will impact our lives, not only right now but in the long-term too.”
With the election just 40 days away, it is important to conduct your own research and make a voting plan. Neumann’s POLSC-202 students are still helping their peers register to vote, and they will have tables set up around campus to assist with voter registration.
This year’s Pizza and Politics event is the newest addition to an impressive catalog of events hosted or attended by Neumann’s political science program.
Last April, three Neumann students, plus Dr. McMonagle, traveled to the state’s capitol to engage in a lobbying effort supporting funding for Pennsylvania private schools and universities.
“Neumann University and our political science program are vibrant and relevant for Pennsylvania and the nation,” stated McMonagle.
