KPU students witness history unfold at U.S. presidential election watch party

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s political science department hosted a U.S. presidential election watch party on Nov. 5 at Grassroots Cafe on the Surrey campus, watching “history in the making” unfold.    

“The US Presidential elections have a global outreach, but their impact is even more felt as Canada is their northern neighbour,” political science instructor Valérie Vézina wrote in an email statement to The Runner. 

“Furthermore, this is a historical moment, regardless of who [won].”

The political science department has a history of organizing events, Vézina wrote, which it hopes are of interest to students and the wider KPU community. 

“These include things like the recent candidates’ debate for Surrey-Newton held on Surrey campus, a public talk on the challenges facing Muslim Canadians, and presentations on electoral reform.” 

In 2016, the department hosted an event centred on Donald Trump clinching the Republican Party nomination, which drew a packed crowd into Fir 128, the largest lecture hall at the Surrey campus. 

“So that was an indication of the very high level of interest in US politics and Trump in particular,” Vézina wrote. 

The event was a low-key, casual affair that went on from 4:00 to 7:00 pm that evening. Political science instructors were in attendance, who could answer questions about how the U.S. elections function, as well as the KPU Political Science Club, which had a mixer event in Grassroots Cafe just before the watch party kicked off. 

The event aimed to bring people together to watch the events unfold, regardless of their preferred candidate for presidency. 

Attendees engaged in a variety of discussions and small talk while watching the events unfold on the T.V. screen, no strong emotions in sight. The snack table was left barren halfway through the night. 

One attendee was Nathan Brokowski, a journalism student there on a class assignment, who saw the election as a toss-up.  

“I’m kind of jaded so I think, ultimately, not a huge difference one way or the other. But I would still prefer Kamala Harris to win.”

Throughout the evening, there were no discernible changes in mood. Everybody milled about and spoke with one another as the coverage went on, analysts and pundits dissecting the incoming results. 

As 7:00 pm approached, attendance slowly dropped, and the electoral race had yet to be called in Trump’s favour. 

Hosting a watch party or candidate debate for the upcoming Canadian federal election is something the political science department is thinking about once the elections are announced, Vézina wrote. 

She added that watch parties are a great way to inform students and voters about various parties, candidates, and platforms.

“Watch parties are fun, but also a bit more informal and there is nothing we can do about the outcome then.” 

Overall, Vézina hopes attendees learned that politics matter. 

“Democracies, and the right to vote, and freely host these sorts of events should never be taken for granted.”