Bethel students gathered in the Underground Oct. 19 to watch the third presidential debate.

Emily Johnson | For the Clarion

The occasional clap or quiet laugh filled the room as Bethel students watched the final presidential debate Oct. 19. Some worked on homework, scrolled through Facebook or even lay on the ground as they listened to the two major party candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, answer questions on policy, issues and accusations.

“The first 30 minutes was the most professional that it has been out of all of (the debates),” junior political science major David Crane observed.

“The moderator did a really good job at looking at specific problems within the campaigns,” junior political science major Tim Hinnenkamp said. “He did a fantastic job.”

Wednesday’s debate, the third and final of the 2016 general-election debates, was hosted at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The event was moderated by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.

“I was really excited that Chris took it upon himself to ask those hard questions that we hadn’t seen before,” Crane agreed.

For the majority of Bethel students, this will be the first presidential election they will be eligible to participate in.

“I was on the Trump bandwagon until the comments that came out two weeks ago, so I’m voting third party now,” Crane explained, referring to the conversation between Trump and Billy Bush from 2005.

For Kelley McKimens, senior organizational communications major, this was the first presidential debate she had ever watched.

“I have a more informed opinion and I would feel more confident about my voting going in, even though I don’t know what that’s going to be,” McKimens explained.

Whether students are confident on their vote or still have some investigating to do, these opportunities on Bethel’s campus for students to gather more information on the election helps community members feel more prepared.

“Hopefully that’s what Bethel students will take away, is that they will go into the polls knowing who they are voting for,” Hinnenkamp said.

Watch all three presidential debates online:

Debate 1 – September 24, 2016

Debate 2 – October 9, 2016

Debate 3 – October 19, 2016