The Sun looks back at a 2012 interview with Cherry Hill East grad and then-Hofstra University sophomore Lauren Platt shortly after Platt got the chance to attend that year’s Second Presidential Debate.
Last night, the final debate prior to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election took place between candidates Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
While millions watch presidential debates from home, a select few get the chance to be in the audience and witness a debate in person.
In 2012, a Cherry Hill native got the chance to be in the audience for a presidential debate. That year, the Sun interviewed Lauren Platt, then a sophomore at Hofstra University. Platt was one of 300 Hofstra students chosen to attend the second Presidential Debate between President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
Platt was one of more than 6,5000 students who entered a school lottery. Students only needed to be in good standing with the university and a registered voter to enter. The school randomly selected 300 students to attend the debate.
“Out of that many, I was one of the ones selected,” Platt said in 2012.
Platt was proud to have the debate at Hofstra, saying it was significant to be going to the school hosting one of the three debates.
“This is the future of my country,” she said. “Having (the debate) here really changed my mind on the fact that it’s something I should be more involved in.”
Platt remembered attending the debate and the crowd reacting a few times during the event. One of those moments was when President Obama and Romney began interrupting one another. This got the crowd laughing a few times.
“It was almost uncomfortable so people were just laughing,” Platt said. “It was intense.”
For most of the event, the audience remained quiet as officials reminded those in attendance to not ruin the debate experience for the television viewers.
President Obama went on to defeat Romney in the 2012 election. However, Platt didn’t think either won the debate she attended.
“The whole debate itself, I thought it was just such a complete draw,” she said.
To read the full story on Platt attending the 2012 presidential debate, visit https://cherryhillsun.com/cherry-hill-native-selected-for-debate-audience-at-hofstra-university-9b6f9b002191#.lfmqo72x7.
