ASU's Programming and Activities Board is making 10,000 free tickets available today to the Oct. 13 debate viewing party in Wells Fargo Arena.
Students and the public can get tickets on campus at Hoodlum's, in the basement of the Memorial Union, and on the third floor of the MU at the Sun Devil Involvement Center.
Tickets are also available to the public at Changing Hands Bookstore at 6428 S. McClintock Drive in Tempe, the Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau at 51 W. Third St. and Borders at 4202 E. Camelback Road at the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix.
The viewing party will include a local band and undetermined speakers from the Democratic and Republican parties. Doors open at 3 p.m., and the debate will be shown on a big screen at 6 p.m. for students and the public.
"We want to have some type of interaction with person-to-person Q and A and discussion," said Ferron Dunham, Programming and Activities Board president.
According to Dunham, CNN, MSNBC and C-SPAN will probably come to the event.
"[The networks] will have a presence on campus outside of the arena and be doing live broadcasts and interviewing students," Dunham said.
MTV has also expressed interest in the event but nothing has been confirmed, Dunham said.
"Much of the event is still tentative because of the nature of it," said John Ronquillo, Public Administration Graduate and event coordinator.
Although PAB and Undergraduate Student Government have $10,000 specifically for debate activities, they have also petitioned to receive support from the Debate Steering Committee as well as $10,000 from the Arizona Students Association to cover costs that may not have been met on the previous budget.
While many details of the program are still being worked out, Dunham hopes the events will get students excited and involved.
"We're working hard to make sure it is really dynamic," he said. "We want it to make students come out and watch the debate, rather than just sitting at home on their couch."
Reach the reporter at jenna.eckenrode@asu.edu.
