i can finally breathe a sigh of relief and watch the last camera crew roll out of oxford. the debate that we have waited so long for is over. gone in 90 minutes. 90 very intense and exciting minutes. yet leading up to those 90 minutes were about 11 months and some 7.5 million dollars worth of preparation. the campus of ole miss was transformed, and so were all who watched. i was working a jewelry market in november 2007 when i received a text message from a friend telling me that ole miss had beaten 19 other universities for the opportunity to host the fist presidential debate. leading up to that point, i never honestly thought we would win. we're ole miss, a comparably small school located in mississippi, of all places. thankfully, the commission on presidential debates saw what i am so lucky to wake up every morning to see: a stunning campus that is privy to the gertrude c. ford center for the performing arts, a newly built facility perfect for the debate; a small, college town that would rally around such an event, as i saw it did. however, many of these points of pride were points of contention for others. where would approximately 3000 media lodge? could the campus support the technological and logistical needs? comments such as these were rebutted with the fact that upwards of sixty-, seventy-, or eighty-thousand people converge on oxford for football weekends. our pioneering spirit would meet any needs that the debate required, and we did.
i came to oxford in mid july to find "the debate starts here" banners flanking light poles around the city and campus. in august, security fences were beginning to be put up around areas near the ford center. many debate-related programs were intertwined into the curriculum and into extra-curricular activities. the university had said that all tickets it received from the commission would go to students. not far into the semester, the student steering committee announced the three ways that these tickets would be allotted. first, a passport program was implemented. a student could pick up a "passport" and have it stamped at every debate-related event he or she attended, up to five times. each stamp would constitute on entry into the passport lottery. secondly, students could fill out an online application about their campus leadership for possible entries into a separate leadership lottery. and thirdly, students could participate in competitions such as quiz bowl, policy proposals, student debates and others, for tickets. i entered both the leadership and passport lotteries.
on sunday, a debate week kick-off was held in front of the lyceum. it was such a beautiful afternoon for a historic moment at a very historic place. the lyceum is the only remaining original building to the university, built in 1848. forty years ago this week, the riots attempting to prevent james meredith's admission to the university took place there. as i stood there sunday, these things were going through my mind; i was filled with pride at where we are today. and i don't believe there is anyone who came to our school this week who would say that we haven't made progress. many university faculty members and coaches were on hand to draw names from two lotteries, one passport and one leadership. luckily, my name was drawn from both. i began sending text messages and calling my parents. yet i soon found out that this drawing guaranteed nothing, for the school didn't know how many tickets it had been allotted. wait until tuesday, we were told. so i trudged back to my room, doubtful that i'd make it to the event i'd looked forward to for months.
the week brought about programs ranging from environmental policy discussions to a mississippi politics symposium, my favorite. i attended all that i could and tried to remember as much as possible, although it is already fading from my memory. the most shocking event of the week, and one that affected the rest of it, was john mccain's decision to suspend his campaign due to the economic crisis in our nation. at the beginning of a lecture during the mississippi politics symposium, chancellor khayat took the microphone to alert the audience of the recent news. my mouth dropped as i made eye contact across the room to one of my good friends who is just as enthusiastic about politics as i. "they can't call this off. they don't know what we've put into this. they can't cancel the most important event ever for this university," were all thoughts racing through my mind. we all now know the outcome, but until friday morning when i received a text message from my aunt saying "john is coming," the night really was in question. however, i don't believe that i truly thought it wouldn't happen.
thursday had to be the highlight of the week so far; tom brokaw was slated to speak on campus, and i was one of the few students who had secured tickets. my family was coming into town, and we'd be going together. classes were still in session however, despite the recent change in the pace of the week. more media were present on campus, and the last place i wanted to be was the classroom. my professor in my final class of the day sensed the restlessness and absent-mindedness of the students, and she allowed us to leave quite early. naturally, several students and i strolled to the union to check out anything that might be going on there and to see if we could wander into the backgrounds of any news shot. suddenly, a friend of mine came bursting out of the union telling us that the lists of students receiving tickets had been sent out in an email. the two other girls with me had had their names drawn from the lottery, and we eagerly ran to the dean of students office as the first place we might find out. the four of us lined up beside the desk of a girl holding the list in her hand. i stood last, as i was very unsure about my chances. all three girls in front of me received tickets. my heart was already racing as i told the girl my name, and she confirmed that i had indeed won a ticket. i was going to the debate!!! a smile was plastered on my face that didn't leave all day. i immediately called my family (then on their way to oxford), told them to put me on speakerphone, and announced to the whole car that i had a ticket to the debate. after an afternoon of essentially bragging to everyone i could that i'd be going to the debate, i attended the tom brokaw debate preview in an elated state. curtis wilkie (google him; he's great) shared the stage with mr. brokaw in a conversation style talk. however, these two men occupying this stage were nothing compared to who i would be facing a mere 24 hours later.
the cbs early show was broadcasting from the student union friday morning, bright and early. upon my arrival home thursday night, i stayed up until about 1:30 making posters and signs with my kappa delta sisters so we could also be enthusiastic audience members. mine read "this lucky kd is going to the debate!" after a rough one hour of sleep, i dragged my body to the union, along with my supportive mother, to cheer on the early show. i believe we underestimated the crowd; i was forced to stand on a table that i'd regularly eat lunch on. my tiredness, distance from the cameras, and (at the time unknown to me) onset of pink eye made my time as an audience member of the early show relatively short. after other brief encounters with mississippi's governor haley barbour and an all too brief appearance at the rock the debate festival in the grove, i headed to the student health center at the insistence of my mother and aunt. now, let me assure you, the last place a political junkie present at the biggest political event of her life (which just happens to be occurring in her own backyard) wants to be is in a health center having her temperature taken. however, i was diagnosed with pink eye and sent back to my room to nap before the big events of the night, which no onslaught of disease would keep me from.
i can admit now that i'd had the dress i'd wear picked out for days. it doesn't hurt to be hopeful, right? i awoke from a nap, and my mother helped roll my hair and have me dressed for the night. i had to arrive very early, like 4:30 PM early, to a "security" tent to be screened and shuttled to the ford center. if only every security post i've been through were like this. inside, i received my actual, physical ticket. after meeting with friends, we took advantage of the food and drink provided for us. the food was catered and served on china plates. some security tent this was. there were couches and chairs, tables and rugs, all areas to socialize with others present. after munching on what would be my supper, i was screened and hopped on a shuttle bus to the ford center. my ticket was for a very good seat, front and center. after a long wait (doors didn't open until 6; events didn't begin until 7:30) i took my seat, almost directly above little cubby hole stations for the news media. i know i cannot accurately describe the set up, and so i won't even try. all i will say is that shepard smith, candy crowley, katie couric, brian williams, and tom brokaw were right over the ledge from where i was sitting. several members of the commission spoke before the actual debate, including our great chancellor, robert khayat. one of the coolest moments of the night was when chancellor khayat asked all students of the university to stand and be recognized. we did, and everyone in the ford center applauded us. haley barbour. trent lott. john kerry. that action on the part of our chancellor speaks volumes of him, that he would defer what could have been his own glorious moment onto the students that he serves. just minutes before the debate began, as the hall was silent, the anchors began their broadcasts; the memory of that is seared into my mind. "this is shepard smith, live from mississippi... good evening, i'm katie couric... hi, i'm brian williams... and i'm tom brokaw..." the immensity of the moment hit me, and not long after, the two candidates for president of the united states were standing before me.
you probably saw the debate, so i will cease to elaborate here. the jaw dropping moments were frequent; the memories were constant. i have taken so long to post this because i want to recount everything. i want to tell my children and grandchildren about this election. the opportunity to host this debate has lit a political fire under this town, and, i believe, in the rest of the nation. i can't convey the appropriate gravity of this event, much less the impact of attending it. i would say, that if you are on a university campus, hosting a debate should be an aspiration. watch out though, because the university of mississippi is ready, very ready to accept the challenge once again.
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