Turlington Hall held a political discussion Monday night to inform residents about the presidential candidates.
Niccolo Roditti, a sophomore studying psychology and international studies and a hall council member, said he wanted to give an unbiased account of the platforms of the five main candidates: Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
Roditti explained the basic stances of each candidate, including their positions on women’s rights, gun rights, foreign and domestic policy, healthcare and taxation. After giving the rundown of the candidates, he opened the floor up for discussion between the attendees.
About 20 hall residents attended the event to hear how to participate in the election. Students questioned when it is appropriate to not vote for their first-choice candidate, especially when it is unlikely that their first choice would win their primary. Andrew Rattanavong, a sophomore studying accounting, said his mom said he would “pretty much be throwing away his vote” if he voted for a candidate who has slim chances.
The good and bad qualities of the five candidates were introduced. Roditti explained Rubio and Sanders’ tax breakdowns, Cruz’s stance on immigration and Clinton’s advocacy for solar power.
Ethan Thompson, a junior studying communication, explained why he was not for Hillary Clinton.
“Finding out that she was on the board for Walmart was alarming to me,” he said.
Thompson also advocated for Sanders’ stance on war. He explained to the other attendees that Sanders wants a “less intrusive sort of America.”
With all the policies that Sanders is trying to implement, Anna Huryn, a freshman studying life sciences, questioned whether or not he would be able to do it all while also decreasing the national debt.
The discussion shifted to discussing the separation of church and state, specifically considering Marco Rubio’s stance. Katherine Swanson, a junior studying criminology, stated her belief that, to a certain extent, the church is never fully separated from governmental decisions.
“People use religion to defend their stance on abortion,” Swanson said.
After all candidates were discussed, Roditti wrapped the event up by asking the crowd if they thought that Trump should be allowed to run, given his lack of political experience. Swanson shared that she believes that “considering being president is a job, the candidates should have some experience.”
Rattanavong liked the event but was expecting more information about the people running for positions other than president. He said he “was hoping for more information about the people running for [local positions],” since voters must also pick candidates for these positions when voting on a ballot.
Attendees were impressed by how informative the event was, including Jason Lin, a senior studying materials science and engineering.
“This was definitely informative,” Lin said. “It is helpful for the people who don’t know about the candidates’ stances.”
Everyone in attendance said they were eager to vote in the primaries. At the event, attendees also received more information about the buses that are taking students to the polling sites, according to Jade Dickinson, a junior studying art and design who is volunteering at a bus stop.
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. today and close at 7:30 p.m. More information can be found on ncvoterguide.org.