Next Monday night, Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., will host the third and final debate in the 2012 presidential election.

The Commission of Presidential Debate notified LU on Halloween last year that the college would host the event. The small university has been preparing itself financially and logistically for the debate since, Vice President for Student Life Phillip Riordan said.

When hearing the news, the university was filled with pride, Riordan said, “knowing we have a national stage.”

Riordan said he planned many student activities for this weekend, such as barbeques, political education programs and even a kickball game between Republicans and Democrats.

Greg Malfitano, senior vice president of administration at LU, is involved with the specific logistics of hosting the debate. Malfitano oversaw the majority of preparation for the debate, including changes at the site of the presidential debate — the Keith C. & Elaine Johnson World Performing Arts Center — according to debate2012.lynn.edu.

Riordan said Malfitano is so active in the school’s self-preparation that he has become “the face of the debate.”

Malfitano said his job could be summed up into three tasks: managing time, talent and resources.

“It’s the Superbowl of politics,” Malfitano said. “It’s a great honor, but also a huge financial and logistical undertaking.”

Riordan and Malfitano said other important individuals in the process of bringing the debate to campus were President Kevin Ross and Chief of Staff Jason Walton.

Instead of hiring help from the outside, which most universities do when hosting a debate, Malfitano said, the administration and faculty are handling everything internally.

“We are doing it all in house with our people,” he said.

LU raised more than $5 million in the past year to finance renovation on campus, much of which is for the debate, among other small costs. In terms of security, the United States Secret Service is now working to create the safest environment for President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney, Malfitano said.

A perimeter fence stands outside the World Center, the building the debate will take place in, and Secret Service agents are checking the backgrounds of students and faculty that are helping to put on the event.

“This will be the safest place in the world Oct. 22,” Malfitano said.

Sophomore fashion management major Sofie Trachten said students have noted the increase in security, and many spread rumors of dorms being bugged. She said the university is prohibiting students from posting pictures of campus on Facebook this week and is “taken over” by Secret Service agents.

But, she said, the security step-up is worthwhile for the good publicity it will bring to the school and the town of Boca Raton.

“A lot of professors say that the day after the debate our diplomas are going to be worth a lot more,” Trachten said.

Since Florida is a swing state, Riordan said, hosting the final debate at Lynn University could prove to be a “game changer” for either candidate.

The best product to come from the debate, Malfitano said, would be increasing the popularity of the 50-year-old university.

When 67 million people across the world watching the debate see Lynn University flash across the screen, it brings prestige, Malfitano said.

Said Malfitano: “There is no better way to celebrate our 50th anniversary.”

 

Published on October 18, 2012 at 1:36 am

Contact Andrew: asmuckel@syr.edu