TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 6 22 UH Cougars Talk Politics Students got a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity when the University of Houston hosted a Republican Presidential Primary Debate B y B r i t n i N . R i l e y (Credit: University of Houston) T he University of Houston has garnered national attention over the past year with not only its number- eight nationally ranked football team, but also for being selected as a host site for a Republican Presidential Primary Debate. The process to host the debate began in May 2015, when the university submitted its bid to NBC News and Telemundo to be a host site. "The chance to participate in history isn't an opportunity taken lightly," said P'nina Topham, director of media relations for the University of Houston. "Hosting a national conversation with real-life impact on our community and country is a great opportunity for our school and students, and also for our extended Cougar community." After UH submitted the bid to host, NBC News and Telemundo made two visits to the campus to ensure it could accommodate the volume of people who would be coming in for the debate. "Before we were selected as host site, it had been over 30 years since a primary debate had been held in Houston," Topham said. "The University of Houston is so proud to have been selected and to have our great city spotlighted in this manner." In October 2015, the Republican National Committee suspended its partnership with NBC News follow- ing the third GOP debate in Boulder, Colorado. This suspension had a ripple effect for the University of Houston since they had been selected as a host site by NBC News and Telemundo. "The host network selects the debate venues, not the political parties," said Adrian Castillo, chief of staff for the Student Government Association at the University of Houston. "When the RNC split with NBC News, we were in limbo as to whether we would host the debate or not." In January 2016, CNN replaced NBC News as a broadcast partner for

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