By Samuel Rubenfeld

The University is hosting one of the three debates in the 2008 presidential election, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced in a statement on Monday.

The debate is to be held at 9 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2008.

Students received a special statement regarding the announcement from University President Stuart Rabinowitz.

“The presidential debates are pivotal events that can shape the course of the election, and our students and community will be able to witness, first-hand, the democratic process,” the statement said.

The University scored the third and final debate in the run-up to the election, with the other presidential debates held at University of Mississippi-Oxford and Belmont University in Tennessee, the Commission statement said. The vice presidential debate will be held at Washington University in St. Louis.

The debate hosted by the University is focused solely on foreign policy issues, according to the Commission statement.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) personally lobbied the Debate Commission, according to a statement from his office.

“In April, Schumer personally wrote to the heads of the Democratic and Republican National Committees and the chairs of the bi-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates asking that they select Hofstra to host a debate, and has been in regular contact with the commission,” the statement said.

Students were delighted with the announcement.

“When I decided to come here, the possibility of having the debate here thrilled me,” Luke Moseley, a freshman communications major said. “When my professor told us today that we got it, my whole class went crazy.”