TAMPA, Fla. -- Thousands of people turned out for the GOP debate in Tampa Monday night, and some even traveled down from Northeast Florida.
"It's so great to see people on campus get involved because so often you see students who are college-aged not have that sense of political efficacy, and that 'I need to get out there and vote and make a difference'," said Jacksonville native and University of South Florida student Heaven Hale.
And they certainly got involved.
Hundreds of people flooded the USF Campus Monday night, protesting, rallying, and expressing a wide range of political opinions.
PICTURES: GOP Debate Preparations in Tampa
Students lined up down the lawn to get into the public viewing party on campus, and Hale was one of them.
"It really makes people want to vote, to make a difference on their own campus," she said.
And while those differences were across the board politically, Hale hopes people will bring that enthusiasm to the Jacksonville debate.
"You see it happening in other places. You never think you'll see it in the place where you grew up or the place that you're studying now. And to see them interact with people you know, people you grew up with, it's surreal," she said.
The candidates will meet again at the debate slated for Monday on the University of North Florida campus right here on the First Coast.
First Coast News