UK students gathered with UK’s chapter of National Association of Black Journalists to watch the first and only Vice Presidential Debate Tuesday night. 

Lisa A. Brown, director of student and multicultural affairs in the UK School of Journalism and Telecommunications, and the NABJ hosted a panel discussion at 7 p.m. in the Gatton College of Business’ Kincaid Auditorium to promote student political involvement. 

Panelists included State Sen. Ralph Alvarado, State Sen. Reginald Thomas, Kentucky Assistant Secretary of State Lindsay Hugh Thurston, Community Activist Shayla Johnson and associate professor James Hertog. Renee Shaw, host of the KET show “Connections with Renee Shaw,”  moderated the panel.

Audience members could ask panelists questions via Twitter. The group discussed the importance to vote and what to expect from the Vice Presidential debate.

Despite differences in political views, the panelists agreed on the importance of voting. 

“All of you young people will have a predicted impact on who will be president,” Thomas said.

Panelists also discussed the new ways to get people to vote in Kentucky. Thurston elaborated on the website govote.ky.com, a safe, secure and easy way to register to vote in the state. Thurston said over 80,000 people have used the site, which includes 20,000 new voters. Also outside of the auditorium, attendees could use kiosks and flyers to figure out how to use the site.

Another topic the panel debated was bipartisanship in Kentucky’s Senate, to which both senators explained it is not like Washington, D.C. Sen. Thomas and Sen. Alvarado said both party members worked across the aisle to get things done for the greater good of Kentucky.

The panel’s audience was around 25 to 30 members. 

Towards to end of the panel, Shaw called up journalism professor Buck Ryan to one of the audience microphones.  Ryan said that he recently travelled to Russia, where his translator was upset that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had removed the “None of the Above” option, which allowed voters to not choose a candidate, in the voting booths.

The panel then voiced their personal opinions on whether or not the U.S. should adopt a similar law. Some said it would be useful in local elections where there is only one candidate running, but others argued that it would stall democracy.

After the panel, Brown presented the panelists with “Certificates of Appreciation” from the NABJ, afterwards to which the Vice Presidential Debate between Republican Gov. Mike Pence and Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine began.