UMass Boston Anticipates Historic Debate
University Communications
University Reporter
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by Leigh DuPuy
With only four weeks until October 3, faculty, staff, and students are busy preparing for the arrival of presidential hopefuls George W. Bush and Al Gore for the 9:00 p.m. debate at the Clark Athletic Center. UMass Boston has been hard at work ever since it received word from the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) on January 6 that it was selected to co-host the first presidential debate of the 2000 general election with the John F. Kennedy Library.
With so many details to coordinate, the CPD, UMass Boston, and the Kennedy Library organized a debate team to oversee planning and campus activities. Tom Keady, alumnus of UMass Boston and Debate Project Manager, has been working with Annemarie Lewis Kerwin, UMass Boston's Assistant Chancellor for University Communications and Debate Coordinator, as well as representatives from the Kennedy Library, to help plan every facet of the event.
This involves everything from renovating the Clark Athletic Center, coordinating marketing and promotional components, communicating information to the press and public, and working with the CPD and the Secret Service.
UMass Boston will be the backdrop for up to 100 million TV viewers expected to watch the debate. In addition to being the only 2000 debate site in the Northeast, it will also be the site for the first presidential debate ever held in Boston and at a public university. More than 2,000 journalists are expected to cover the event, including those from the five major networks, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, C-SPAN, and CNN. They will watch the debate from the "skating rink" area, which has been selected to serve as the Media Center.
UMass President William S. Bulger and Chancellor Sherry Penney will address the debate audience prior to the start of the televised program. UMass Boston also will host a reception in conjunction to the debate and a possible additional viewing location on campus for students, faculty, and staff.
The CPD will be responsible for providing credentials for the media and for ticket distribution, which will be limited. More information about ticket allocation will be available in early fall. This information and other debate details are available at: www.umb.edu/debate. All interested in the proceedings should refer to it daily for the latest information.