I was one of the 30 students that received a ticket to Saturday’s California gubernatorial debate. As I stood in the first of three lines that day, I observed the crowd. I saw very few ticket holders that looked like students. Most of the people around me looked 35 years old or older.

During the entry process I asked people around me how they got a ticket. One couple said they got two tickets from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Others told me they got tickets from a friend that worked for Univision. Others said they got tickets from the Republican Party, some from the Democratic Party and one couple said they got their tickets from Fresno State’s administration.

Among the attendees were a number of VIPs. Among these VIPs was Fresno mayor Ashley Swearengin, a city councilmember from Madera, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer and who appeared to be Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

When I noticed that some seats were empty in the VIP section, I decided to hide my non-VIP pass and walk towards the VIP section as if I belonged there. It worked.

Not only did I manage to sit in the VIP section, but the man sitting next to me was the son of Cesar Chavez. He had gotten his ticket from Univision as a thank-you for helping convince Jerry Brown to participate in the debate.

Very few students were permitted to attend the event. Of those who were allowed, Adriana Sanchez was the only student allowed by Univision to ask the candidates a question about their stand on the DREAM Act.

After the debate, ticket holders were allowed to attend the reception at the Student Union. At this reception I talked to President Welty.

In an effort to reflect the outrage many students felt for not being allowed to participate in the event, I asked Dr. Welty why students were not invited as on other campuses.

“Fresno State received 50 tickets, and we gave out over 30 of those to students,” said Dr. Welty.

When asked why wasn’t the debate held in a bigger room, Dr. Welty responded, “The facility itself has to be able to handle an event like that…The only other facility that could accommodate this was the Save Mart Center.”

When asked why the event was not held at the Save Mart Center, he responded, “Well, I think Univision makes that decision, and they are really more interested in a TV audience than a live audience.”

The Collegian was allowed in the press tent outside the event, but not inside the event. When asked about this, Dr. Welty said: “The rules were that the press was at the tent, and we were sponsored by Univision and we could not violate these rules.”

“Does that mean then that freedom of press is therefore limited by Univision?” I asked him.

Welty said, “No I don’t think that is accurate at all. They had limited space, they had to make a decision as to how to accommodate everybody, they accommodated the press by giving them a live feed into the tent; and there just wasn’t enough room in the Satellite Union.”

I also asked Dr. Welty if the university had any expenses because of the event. “I don’t know the number. The bill will essentially be our own…providing facilities and people we had to hire, you know, the work in the Satellite Student Union and that kind of thing.”

ASI staff and President Pedro Ramirez tried really hard to get tickets from Univision. Univision was reluctant, but he managed to get 30.

The debate was held on government property at an educational facility, yet Univision made the rules. Where is democracy? If anybody finds it please let me know. It seems to me that when a corporation is involved, democracy flies out the window.