The night of October 4th was a hectic one. Student volunteers, politicians, journalists, reporters, photographers, news networks, secret service agents and more crowded into the campus at Longwood University for the first and only U.S. Vice Presidential Debate. A night that had been prepared for since late 2015, the enthusiasm for the event was apparent from all those in attendance.
Longwood senior Lindsey Negron was one of the few students selected at random to attend the debate, and expressed how grateful she was for the opportunity to be a part of history . “I am nervous because I don’t know to expect, but I am also excited because this is a once in a life time experience,” said Negron before she entered Willett Hall.

Lindsey, along with close to 600 in the debate hall and millions more watching across the nation, were witness to Republican Nominee Mike Pence and Democratic Nominee Tim Kaine sparring over the temperament of their running mates, each candidate’s inability to create a solid plan to handle ISIS and, of course, taxes and emails.
The atmosphere of the debate was surprisingly similar to the Presidential debate a week earlier, but with one glaring difference. Tim Kaine took Donald Trump’s place as the aggressor, constantly interrupting both Pence and moderator Elaine Quijano, and although Pence stayed more subdued than his opponent, he glossed over several accusations made by Kaine about Donald Trump without attempting to defend them.

The VP debate seemingly put the campaign in a strange place. The first debate went exactly how it was expected, however what happened in Farmville, VA on October 4th was maybe more shocking to the American people than anything Trump or Clinton has done or said in a long time.
Written by: Adam Turner and Shelby Massie