LOS ANGELES — While, Professor Thomas Dowd is preparing his students for their own debates upcoming in Atlanta, Chicago, and Hawaii, students like junior Desiree Diaz are also expressing their thoughts on the current state of American politics.

That’s because the next Democratic Presidential Debate is scheduled to take place on their campus at Loyola Marymount University on Thursday.

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“This morning I checked my email and I had a ticket for the debate. I was so excited I cried,” Diaz said. “To watch the candidates first hand – to see what’s happening with arguments in the spin room. I think to see those first hand is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Professor Dowd.

But that excitement could soon turn into disappointment.

The debate is in doubt because of a dispute between labor union Unite Here Local 11 and food service provider Sodexo, which operates on campus at LMU.

Last week, the seven candidates set to appear in the debate spoke out social media. One by one, they called their participation into question, saying they wouldn't cross the picket line, even if it mean missing the debate.

Diaz says she is supporting the union, despite wanting to see the debate in-person.

“I think livable wages are more important than me getting to sit at an important debate,” she said.

Right now, the school is caught in the middle of the dispute, a dispute that could erase a monumental moment in history for both LMU and its students. 

“The labor issue needs to be dealt with and addressed but I think the political debates and the opportunities to see what’s happening at the Democratic primary debate – I think that’s important to see first hand,” Professor Dowd said. 

Though, regardless of what happens this week, the LMU debate team is a proud group … with leaders who may perhaps find themselves on podiums like these in the decades to come.