TAMPA — This year’s presidential race has thrown one curve ball after another to voters.

It has made for one of the most exciting races in recent memory and, at one Bay area college, is causing more students to become more interested in the political process.

St. Leo University has seen a big jump in the number of students registering for political science courses.

Professor Frank Orlando, who has had a lifelong passion for politics, teaches at the university.

“You realize how important this is and how decisions we make in elections shape our society in our democracy,” Orlando said.

He says there is always a spike in interest during a presidential election year. However, this year has shown to be unique in that the race started out as a challenge to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, but is now a fight between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Politics has become a huge part of the culture, and I think we get a big boost from all the stuff happening in our world,” Orlando said. “And it makes people more excited about studying it.”

Orlando described his election night plan for his students.

“We will have an election night broadcast, and each student will be assigned to a state. And they will be an expert on that state, and they will have to go to the big board and point out counties and talk about voter turnout,” Orlando said.

He hopes students will not only engage in the classroom but carry what they learned into the future.