Houston - 10 September 2019

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1. Various of signs at Texas Southern University

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dexter Maryland, Texas Southern student:

"For HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) it's a huge thing because it puts us first, it allows the students to know that their votes matter. You know, a lot of students think that their votes don't matter. So, the fact that they're coming here to this college, they chose this college out of all the colleges in Houston to come here and show the diversity and what they're standing on, so I feel that it increases the student engagement in politics."

3. Various of students on campus

4. SOUNDBITE (English) D'Angelo Colter, Texas Southern student:

"It truly gets the students to know the candidates, actually get to know their platform, what they stand on, truly to be more politically aware. I am very glad that they chose this campus and it also shows that they're truly for for diversity because a lot of times, especially in the workforce nowadays, like, a lot of things is getting more and more diverse."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Zakiya Percy, Texas Southern student:

"Just attending an HBCU personally, and having the opportunity to attend the debate, having the opportunity for the debate to be here, I feel like it's one in a lifetime opportunity. And I feel like most of the students here understand that."

6. Texas Southern sign

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Michael Adams, Political Science, Texas Southern University:

"We are steeped in history. We are standing here in the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. There are very few HBCUs who have had two elected members of Congress."

8. Texas Southern sign

9. Students walking on campus

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Zakiya Percy, Texas Southern student:

"We want to hear and know that student debt is something that is on their mind, something that needs to be resolved. There's trillions of student debt."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Randi Wright, Texas Southern student:

"I want to hear them talk a lot about funding schools and student loans because those are killer things, and talk about what they can actually do for the United States."

12. ABC News debate sign

13. Texas Southern sign

14. Students walking on campus

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dexter Maryland, Texas Southern student:

"Texas Southern University is an awesome institution and this will be a huge night for HBCUs at a massive level."

16. TSU flag

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus123397

The hardest ticket to get on the campus of Texas Southern University is for Thursday's Democratic presidential debate, which is being held at the historically black university.

Texas Southern was founded in 1927. Almost 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend the school in Houston's third ward.

Students say the Democrats picked Houston and their campus because they're in the most diverse city in the U.S. and the Democratic Party is seeking to broaden its appeal to minorities.

Weighing most heavily on their minds as students is what candidates plan on doing to address the ever ballooning student debt problem.

Students also want to hear how candidates address criminal justice reform and how they'll take on President Donald Trump in a general election.