Workers and staff at Hofstra University are making preparations inside and outside of the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, which on Monday will host the first of three presidential debates.
Hofstra freshman Carolyn Becker says she can't help but feel and hear the buzz around campus for the debate between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
"It's getting pretty hectic around here, that's for sure. Things are definitely amping up," she says.
Other students, like senior Adam Stark, will be working the event as part of his television production major.
"'I'll be working during the actual taping of [the debate] and to me, that's the best possible experience to gain," says Stark.
The university says a lottery is being held for students who want to attend the debate.
It will mark the third consecutive presidential debate that the university has hosted, making Hofstra the only venue ever to do that. The university hosted a debate between Sen. John McCain and then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2008, and also hosted a debate in 2012 between President Obama and Mitt Romney.
Hofstra was not originally expected to host a debate this year. The university was chosen as a replacement after Wright University in Ohio dropped out, citing financial concerns.
News 12 Long Island and News12.com will bring you special coverage of the first presidential debate at Hofstra, which takes place on Monday, Sept. 26.