Hundreds of University students piled into living rooms, local bars and theaters to watch Republican vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin face Barack Obama’s No. 2, Sen. Joe Biden, in a heated debate Thursday night.

“She (Palin) kept turning the conversation back to her one strong suit – energy – and pretty much ignoring the questions,” said Denechia Powell, a senior from Brunswick, who supports Obama. Powell joined a handful of friends to watch the debate at her boyfriend’s apartment.

“It seemed like a lot of Palin’s responses were rehearsed,” she said. “She was looking down, reciting from her notes.”

But Biden didn’t impress her either, Powell said.

“He could have been more energized from the start. But he won the debate by actually answering the questions he was asked in detail.”

After a two-week period that saw the stock market tumble to record lows and Congress battle it out over a proposed $700 billion bailout, the pressure was on for Palin and Biden to appear ready to take on the challenges of a battered economy.

At Little Kings Shuffle Club, Carlina Muglia, 23, of Athens, organized a debate watch party to help educate people about important issues and become more familiar with the candidates.

It was a non-partisan event open to everyone, according to the Facebook event page. Muglia said the youth demographic is energized about this election more than it has ever been in her lifetime.

“The economic shake up and the fact that we’re at war has made people pay more attention,” she said. “If we don’t shoulder the burden for being responsible citizens for the country, then we can’t point fingers at whoever is running it.”

But the computer Muglia was using to stream the debate lost its connection 45 minutes into the debate. Many of the students who wanted to catch the rest of it walked the short distance to Ciné, where the UGA Law Democrats were also hosting a debate watch party open to the public.

The event was a great opportunity to bring the community together and raise money for the Obama campaign, Russell James Edwards, 26, of Peachtree City, and vice president of the UGA Law Democrats, said.

Some of the debate watchers at Cine were playing Palin Bingo. They marked off terms Palin has been using in public speeches and interviews.

“Palin did what she had to do,” Rob Simpson, 32, Athens said. “She couldn’t avoid her hot button words. I got this close to getting Palin bingo.”

Joking aside, Simpson said he simply could not support the McCain platform.

“Palin weakens the platform,” he said.

A University alumna was disappointed the debaters focused more on the primary candidates instead of on themselves “… especially because with the Republican ticket it’s more than likely the vice president will ascend to the presidency,” said D.L. Kacer, 35, of Athens.

Other debate watchers had this to say:

“I think Biden showed a lot of heart,” Ishita Chowdhury, a senior from Decatur, said.

The debate reaffirmed University graduate instructor Kevin Vaughn’s belief that Palin “is a dangerous individual who appeals to the deepest and most dangerous hypocrisies” of this nation.

“No matter what she says, I can’t separate it from what the McCain campaign is coaching her to say,” said Chris Tavez, 22, of Decatur.

“Biden destroyed Palin,” said Alan Reese, a sophomore from Savannah. “The points and truth got out and can’t be covered up with cutesyness,” he said, referring to Palin.

Doug Winn, a senior from Griffin, said, “Both Sen. Biden and Gov. Palin were playing to the lowest common denominator of American voters, and thanks to her redneck, beauty-queen brain, Gov. Palin scored a resounding victory.”

Winn met with seven other friends at a house gathering to watch the debate.

“She set him up so many times to knock the pins down, but he’s not doing it. It’s so easy! That’s why Obama won the last debate.”

But Troy Davis, also a senior from Griffin, thought Palin’s demeanor was appealing.

“She’s so much more personal than Joe Biden,” he said.

Though the group of friends said they saw positives and negatives for both candidates, Winn thought he said it best following Palin’s answer to alternative energy:`

“I’m going to get another beer.”

- Contributing: Caitlin Byrnes, Carolyn Crist, Amanda Woodruff