Student groups watch live election coverage

On election night, three student groups gathered across Lehigh’s campus to watch live coverage of the election. 

The Black Student Union, Lehigh College Democrats and Lehigh College Republicans each hosted watch parties as votes piled in on various news channels, providing students with a place for conversation and support. 

The 16 attendees at Lehigh College Democrats’ watch party verbalized concerns over the way the election was developing. 

One attendee, Morgan Robb, ‘28, said she was particularly fearful about the outcome because she felt there was a lot at stake.

Ben Dickman, ‘28, expressed a more optimistic view and said he was hopeful the Democratic Party would win the state of Pennsylvania. 

He said if Harris had won, he would’ve expected her to lower taxes for Americans.

Grace Bishop, ‘28, a friend of Dickman’s, said she thinks this election was among the most pivotal in history.

“I think this is the most important election we’ve ever had,” Bishop said. “I think the state of democracy is at risk.” 

Mariana Roldan, ‘28, also attended the Lehigh College Democrats watch party and said as an immigrant from Colombia, she thinks this election will have a global impact.

“Especially in Latin America, the influence the U.S. has is very much present in everything,” Roldan said. 

She also shared her frustration with those who didn’t participate in the election because they didn’t know enough about the candidates or the election. 

“But during a campaign and during the election, it’s your time to inform yourself,” Roldan said. “It’s a right of yours to participate in the election.” 

The Lehigh College Republicans also hosted a watch party after the polls closed on Election Day. The event began at 8 p.m. in the STEPS building, and the club provided pizza and other refreshments to attendees. 

Before the election and throughout the fall semester, Lehigh College Republicans attended political rallies of president-elect Donald Trump and gauged the interest of potential new members.

Members began watching Right Side Broadcasting Network’s live coverage and then switched to the NBC coverage that streamed live on YouTube. 

There were about 15 attendees at the event. 

Angel Castañeda, the event planner for the College Republicans, clicked between several YouTube livestreams, the Associated Press election map and a map tool that allows users to predict state outcomes and track candidates’ path to 270 electoral votes. 

Sentiments were mixed among attendees at the event. One attendee wrote “College Republicans Trump 2024” on the whiteboard in the room, and another attendee soon added “against” between “Republicans” and “Trump.” 

Despite this, Castañeda said the club is backing the former president. 

“We’re supporting Trump,” Castañeda said. “All in all, we’re going out all for him.”

Castañeda said the economy, the border crisis and abortion were the three largest issues for him in this election, all of which led him to vote for Trump on Nov. 5. 

Castañeda is from Texas and is a child of two immigrants from Mexico. He said he finds the immigration crisis to be “awful and ugly.”

Throughout the night, attendees at the Lehigh college Republicans watch party analysed over maps and election coverage on their own laptops. Those who were asked to participate in an interview declined to comment, except for one.

An attendee, who preferred to be anonymous, said it’s important to attend events like watch parties for political engagement and community. They said this kind of event forces people to discuss things they don’t normally talk about and ask others about their thoughts.

“That conversation is important,” they said. “I think just going there is good to engage because, even here, we’ve had a difference of opinion.” 

Olugoke Martins, ‘26, and Aminata Coulibaly, ‘24, serve on the executive board of the BSU and said their event aimed to promote a sense of unity and discourse among peers.

“It’s important that our general body and other students on campus know the candidates that they’re voting for  — not just knowing the candidates and their policies and what they’re advocating for, but other parties as well,” Coulibaly said. “We don’t have to limit ourselves to the knowledge of a two-party system.” 

The BSU event had approximately 50 attendees who gathered at the Health, Science and Technology building to watch MSNBC election night coverage with beverages and food from Chick-fil-A. The food was provided by the Center of Ethics at Lehigh, and Coulibaly and Martins said it was important for them to combine ethics with politics.

Coulibaly worked for the Biden-Harris administration over the summer and voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in person in Bethlehem on Nov. 5. She said she hoped to see Harris-Walz policies implemented after the election. 

Martins, who also voted for Harris, said he feels Harris best supports the identity groups that he aligns with — particularly his moral and political values.