MSU College Democrats President Liam Richichi said he worked on Whitmer’s first and second campaigns and wanted to bring big name speakers to his community.

“It's a really big deal for me,” he said. “It's also an educational piece for everyone. I want everyone to be able to get to learn from these elected officials, because they have a lot to teach, a lot to share.”

The list of speakers began with Bahar-Cook, who explained her decision to run for the board as an MSU alum.

“I decided to run for MSU because I wanted to give back,” she said. "I care about this university. I care what happens on the board and what that looks like to the rest of the world, students, outsider groups and the administration.”

Bahar-Cook said she worked for Democratic candidates with fundraising in their offices’ early in her career. She has since used this fundraising experience to support nonprofits like food banks and homeless shelters, she said.

Bahar-Cook has also served on other boards like the Ingham County Board of Commissioners and the Ingham County Board of Canvassers. 

In a flier she distributed to attendees, she listed her priorities for MSU:

• Improving MSU’s affordability for Michigan families.
• Promoting board civility and cooperation with university groups.
• Ensuring that student workers, staff and faculty are treated with respect and dignity and that community safety is a priority on all levels.
• Maintaining MSU’s ranking as a premier research institution.

She said she also wants to prioritize providing more mental health services to students, faculty and staff. 

“It is a very stressful time right now to be alive, and I can only imagine all the added stress of what it takes to study, to do well, to plan for your future,” Bahar-Cook said.

Then Whitmer took the stage, commending students for putting in the work during this election cycle.

“It is not easy to be out there talking to people, encouraging people, making sure everyone's registered to vote and ready to turn out, making sure people are educated on what the issues are,” she said.

This election will be a tight one, and Michigan will play a key role, Whitmer said. 

“It is going to be a close election, as hard as it is to believe when you look at the two candidates on the debate stage,” she said. “When you see the man who has bumbled through his life and was born on third and thinks he's going to triple, or the woman who worked her tail off to get where she is, it's hard to believe it's going to be close.”

But Whitmer said having a better candidate or "better plan to improve American lives" does not guarantee victory.

"The hard work between now and Election Day is what is going to make the difference," she said. 

Speaking directly to the students, Whitmer said their generation needs leaders who will fight gun violence and advocate for legislation to combat climate change.

“Climate change is real, even Ron DeSantis might believe that today,” she said in reference to Hurricane Milton, which is currently heading toward Florida. Climate change has been cited as a contributing factor as to why hurricanes like Milton are more violent and unpredictable.

Before moving to questions prepared by the MSU College Democrats, Whitmer stressed the importance of voters ages 18 to 22. 

“What happens on this campus matters,” she said.

International relations and economics junior Divya Thirukumaran asked Whitmer what policies she has implemented and plans to implement to attract new Michigan residents and make the economy as competitive as states like Texas and California. 

“I'm really focused on growing our economy,” Whitmer said. “So, diversifying our economy, making sure we got great jobs and a high-quality life, but also making sure that we're a place where every person is respected and protected under the law.”

This also includes ensuring that those in the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan have full civil rights, she said. 

Prioritizing bringing down the cost of higher education and expanding access to good housing can help ensure that people stay in Michigan, Whitmer said.

“Our motto is 'build baby, build,'” she said. “We are building so much affordable housing all across the state. Because no matter where you live, you should be able to afford good quality of life, have access to the internet, have protections under the law and be able to access health care.”

Political theory and constitutional democracy and economics sophomore Anabelle Sanchez asked what Democratic voters can do in Michigan to convince undecided voters.

Whitmer said it's important to find common ground with those who are unmotivated or undecided.

“The economy is always going to be number one for a lot of voters, and we have a superior story to tell on the economy,” she said. “When Trump was President, we lost 280,000 jobs. With Biden-Harris, we have regained our footing, grown jobs, and we've got so much investment going on.”

Whitmer also pushed back against recent comments from vice presidential candidate JD Vance, who, during his visit to Michigan, said he would not honor the Biden administration’s $500 million federal grant to General Motors Co. to convert the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant into an electric vehicle plant.

“JD Vance was just here and said that the $500 million that is going into a battery plant is chump change,” Whitmer said. “He just insulted everyone in the state of Michigan, in our economy, when he did that.”

Richichi said he thought the event went great, with Whitmer answering questions extremely well.

“Her policies are on point, and she's been doing so much to help the Democratic ticket, even though she can't run another election,” he said. “Even with that, she's still fighting for democracy.”