ETTRICK, Va. -- On Super Tuesday, Virginia voters will help decide the candidates who will appear on the ballot in the 2024 Presidential Election in November.
Weeks before the election, both the Republican and Democratic candidates are scheduled to appear together in Virginia for one of three presidential debates. Virginia State University (VSU) will become the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to ever host a general election U.S. presidential debate.
"It's very exciting, very big," Virginia State University senior Darrell Dyson II said. "VSU is growing as a whole, so it brings a lot of good attention to us. I believe it's a great opportunity for students as well."
Hosting a presidential debate can bring many good things to a college campus.
"We want to make an impression, leave a mark," said Student Government President Kailyn Haye. "We want to make sure we understand the value of voting in this election. Especially because the candidates will be here. The [students] are excited. They want to be engaged, to do more. I've had so many classmates come up to me and say, 'Can you get me a ticket for the debate?' They want to be a part of this moment."
The VSU debate is on the books for October 1, 2024.
"The opportunity that it's going to be able to provide, for [the school] to be able not only to meet but to show off our institution as a whole, is tremendous," Prof. Wes Bellamy, chair of the Department of Political Science at VSU, said.
Bellamy said the debate would also expose students to the inner workings of campaigns and political parties.
"Whether that's from economic and campaign finance, whether that's from policy and administration and rules, whether that's from lobbying and individuals being able to go out and try to suggest why a person should vote for either candidate, it is a great deal for us to be able to expose them to mall that," he said.
CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said the upside for VSU itself is significant. He pointed out what a 2016 vice-presidential debate featuring candidates Tim Kaine and Mike Pence did for Longwood University.
"I can imagine that VSU will be able to tell its story more effectively now to a nationwide audience," Holsworth said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see a huge surge in applications to VSU after people see it on national TV."
And another potential upside, as one student pointed out, is that being so close to the political action could bring many more young people to the polls.
"Under 21-year-olds don't really vote that much," said Anya Howard, a senior Mass Communications major. "I think having the presidential debate here will encourage them more to vote in the actual election.
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