Debate ‘08 @ Oxford Tuesday

Volunteer Carlos Maury walks through the media tent adjacent to the Ford Center in Oxford. The Ford Center at the University of Mississippi will host the first presidential debate between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain on Friday. (AP Photo/Oxford Eagle, Bruce Newman)

The countdown continues until the debate Friday night. Here is a look at what is going on …

Oxford prepares for historic occasion

OXFORD – Days away from hosting a historical debate between presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, preparations have increased in Oxford for Friday’s event.

Red, white and blue banners celebrating the first such debate to ever be held at the University of Mississippi dotted the campus, the city’s street lights and its downtown businesses.

Workers have set up a watch party downtown on the Square for residents who will not be among the few allowed into the Ford Center.

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Information from: The Hattiesburg American

Community invited to CBS ‘Early Show’
OXFORD – University of Mississippi faculty, staff and students, along with other members of the community, have been invited by CBS News Friday morning to be part of the network’s “The Early Show,” which will be broadcast live from inside the Student Union.

Anchor Harry Smith plans to interact with the audience during the show, which airs nationally from 6 to 9 a.m. Both WCBI-4 in Columbus and WREG-3 in Memphis air the 7-9 a.m. segment. The producers plan at least two, two-minute segments in which Ole Miss students will be interviewed.

Visitors to the show should be in place inside the Student Union by 5:30 a.m. The network is looking for “any students that have anything they want to show support for on national television, whether it be a presidential candidate, sports team or organization,” Rakes said.

Drawing leaves 300 eligible for debate
OXFORD – The names of 300 students were pulled Sunday as part of the lottery to see who will attend Friday night’s debate.

The names were drawn from more than 7,500 entries at Sunday night’s campus debate week kickoff event, said Ben Williams, assistant dean of students for Greek life and student organizations. From those, 300 lottery tickets were pulled at the Sunday event.

Having their names drawn Sunday night does not guarantee that students will receive debate tickets.

The university will not learn what its ticket allotment is until workers finish configuring the Ford Center’s main hall for the event. Tickets will be awarded in the order of the lottery drawing until all have been handed out.

Today’s events: Foreign views, Wuhl’s comedy
A panel discussion and a comedy performance highlight today’s debate-related activities on the Ole Miss campus.

At 5:30 p.m. in the Overby Center Auditorium, The Croft Institute for International Studies and the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics co-host a panel of journalists from around the world to discuss their reporting on U.S. politics and elections, and the views shared by their countrymen of the 2008 presidential election.

At 8 p.m. actor and comedian Robert Wuhl takes on the role of a history professor in “Assume the Position.” Tickets for the performance, which will be in Fulton Chapel, are $10.