Citadel Meija, a 2012 Bishop Dunne graduate and Hofstra University student, scored one of the few tickets to the Oct. 16 Romney vs. Obama debate. She offers her take on the event and the experience of having the two candidates on the Hofstra campus for BubbleLife readers.

This was before the debate started when everyone was coming in and finding their seats. This was the closest I was allowed to go. The black booths on the left are different news stations that you see on TV when they report them being live. If I was to set back and turn to my left, you would have been able to see a table with computers all set up for journalists to type on. Throughout the debate, I could hear photographers taking pictures from where I’m standing, and some getting closer to the debate floor.

During the debate, Secret Service would stand by the outer blue walls on the debate floor, the stands, and the exits. I was not able to take a lot of pictures and had to turn off all my electronic devices when the program started. For the audience, the program started at 8:30 because we had to go over rules and listen to some speeches from the Commission of Presidential Debates, the President of Hofstra University, and from the moderator.

Fun fact: the space used for this debate is actually a basketball court. My school spent Friday – Tuesday morning setting up for the debate.

Stuff that went on at my school: Secret service arrived on Saturday night, and road closure began Sunday night. Different news stations arrived Sunday night and Monday morning. On Sunday, students were constantly asked to show their ID, and commuter students had to give their license plate numbers and were asked a couple of questions. Some Secret Service agents dressed up as students with backpacks and walked around our campus inspecting it.