As millions watched the Republican primary showdown Wednesday night, 14 students at Hillsdale College broadcasted their reactions live on the radio.
Nationally syndicated Salem Radio host Mike Gallagher traveled to the rural, southern Michigan town, to air a student focus group during the two CNN debates. Gallagher also broadcasted his daily radio program from campus on Wednesday through Friday, featuring a few of the 11 undergraduate and three graduate students who participated in the debate panel.
Most of the students had little to no experience in broadcasting, which made the experience exciting and nerve-wracking.
“You’re hearts beating the whole time; you’ve got butterflies in your stomach,” Alex Buchmann ’16 told Red Alert Politics. “It’s comparable to the feeling of playing football on a Friday night in front of a whole crowd except it’s a crowd of 7.3 million people.”
Christy Allen ’16 said she enjoyed processing the debate in a new way, while discussing it with her peers.
“Sometimes I watch these debates alone at home, and it was nice to see whether my reactions were kind of in line with other people’s or not,” Allen said. “It’s interesting to see what different things people pick up on and what they’re each looking for.”
Hillsdale College, established in 1844, is a classic liberal arts institution known for its refusal to accept any sort of public funding, including in the form of student grants and loans.
“Hillsdale College is one of the crown jewels of American education,” Gallagher said during the broadcast. “I cannot think of a better place to be in America tonight than with these bright college students. I was so encouraged to see this group of Millennials so committed to the political process.”
These students had plenty to say about the candidates campaigning to lead the nation, though most agreed Carly Fiorina championed the night.
“She exuded a strong persona. She wasn’t as relaxed and relatable, but she appeared to be a leader,” Bailey Amaral ’16 said. “I really felt like I was watching a prodigy of Margaret Thatcher.”
Frontrunner Donald Trump caused the largest divide of opinion in the group.
Jacob Weaver ’18 thought Trump showed better than he had in past debates.
“I think Donald Trump did an excellent job responding to questions and being a little bit more substantive this debate,” Weaver said.
While some students felt the same way, others stood in complete disagreement.
“I thought that Trump really fell flat,” said Sarah Onken ’16. “His answers lacked substance. There’s only so many times you can say, ‘Trust me. I’ll be great.’”
The students also thought Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Chris Christie had a good night.
“I thought Rubio probably had the most presidential persona on the panel,” Onken said.
“Chris Christie, a kind of softer side of him came out, which I was very impressed with,” Weaver said. “He at least attempted to take the high road, be funny, be likable.”
Holding the focus group, the students said, allowed the national audience to see the unification among young conservatives standing for the principles in which they believe.
“It shows we are all rallying in the same fight,” Buchmann said. “We may choose different pieces in who we like, but the fact that we all have this common understanding, reverence for America, and want it to succeed.”
This article is from Red Alert Politics’ Campus Correspondent Program. Would you like to contribute a story from your school? Apply here to be a Campus Correspondent for RAP!
