4:30 - SPJ Officers and volunteers meet in the lower lobby of the Overby Center for briefing.
4:45 - All Candidates arrive for setup and presidential rehearsals start in the Overby Center auditorium.
- Run through slide presentation.
- Do mic checks for the 4 candidates, possibly for moderator as well.
- Coin toss for all candidates as to who will go first.
5:15 - Campaign Alley Begins.
5:38 - Slide show on auditorium big screen begins.
5:45 - Doors open to the audience.
6 p.m. - Once UM Alma Mater begins playing: The tech crew will fade out the over-head audience lights and increase stage lighting. Afterward the moderator will walk out onto the middle of the stage midway through the song and the debate will begin at its conclusion.
** Note: Once the song has ended, the slide show has been programmed to continue on that same slide for an additional 1hr 50min.
Once the Debate has started, the moderator will welcome audience members and welcome in the entrance of the candidates for VP. Once each candidate has reached their desk, they will both turn to each other, shake hands and then take their seats. The moderator will then begin questions.
Once the VP debate is over, each candidate will have two minutes for closing remarks before the moderator dismisses them.
As they exit, the moderator will introduce the Presidential candidates as they walk in, following the same format the VP candidates preceded.
After the Presidential debate is over, they each will have two minutes for closing remarks before the moderator dismisses them.
At that time, the Moderator will welcome the ASB Director of Communications and SPJ president for closing debate remarks.
ASB Debate Volunteers and Member Roles:
Auditorium Seating Hosts: will tend to guests with disabilities as needed and make sure all seats within the auditorium are used. Hosts may have to ask some individuals to move down a seat or two, so remember to do so in a polite, courteous manner. The hosts must also keep reserved seating available for the ASB Debate RSVP guests. As seating host, it is important to uphold the university creed at all times.
Ushers: will be placed outside of the Auditorium doors to help guests with any questions. It is important to know the debate schedule to help them and to deter guests from spending time in the lower Overby Center ground floor lobby area. Ushers will hand out debate programs to guests. As usher, it is important to uphold the university creed at all times and be polite and courteous with guests.
SPJ Vice President: will take care of setting up the Candidate names on the tables for Campaign Alley as well as RSVP arrangements in the front of the auditorium. Afterwards, she or he will take care of making sure presidential candidates are in their correct places when time starts.
Webmaster: will help the AV tech that Andy Harper has sent. Once the doors open to the auditorium, he or she will help the inside hosts in securing the RSVP seats and make sure all seats are filled in the auditorium. Filling every seat is vital as overflow may occur.
Membership Chair: will lead the ushers, assisting audience members outside of the auditorium doors. This will help the volunteers keep confidence with an Officer aiding them.
Secretary: will bounce back between helping the SPJ president and Tony Russell (or Andy Harper) in handling anything that falls through the cracks or that is needed for the webcam. At 20 minutes til, the secretary will begin surveying the crowd in anticipation of a likely overflow. Once the auditorium has reached maximum capacity, he or she will then begin the Contigency process outlined in the Debate Script.
SPJ President: will be working on rehearsals and so forth, making sure everything is running smoothly prior to the start of the debate. Once the debate has started, the president and ASB contact will be working as timekeepers somewhere in the auditorium, depending on rehearsals.
ASB Debate Overflow Contingency Plan
In the occurrence that Overby Center auditorium reaches maximum capacity, remaining guests will be escorted to a nearby auditorium (either room 202 or 125) where they will be able to watch the debate via webcam.
This decision will be made three minutes prior to the beginning of the debate by a designated SPJ officer (the secretary) who will then assume the role of Hall Two Director. That officer will work in coordination with the AV tech responsible for handling the web link. At the moment of decision, the doors to the Overby Auditorium will be closed to deter remaining guests.
All outside ushers will then work with the Hall Two Director in guiding the remaining individuals to their new seating location. One usher will remain at the door to see to it that it is closed and narrate to individuals the way to the second location. As some guests may become difficult under this circumstance, it is vitally important to keep a positive disposition.
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Moderator Script
(Moderator) Good evening from the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. I'm Elizabeth Googe of Newswatch on Channel 99, and I welcome you to the first SPJ-sponsored ASB Presidential Debate. Tonight we will be asking the candidates a total of 12 questions – six questions will go to the Vice Presidential candidates and six more for the Presidential Candidates. The questions were solicited from students here on campus and we hope they reflect the concerns of the student body.
At this time we ask that all audience members silence their cell phones and in respect to every candidate, please applaud ONLY when the candidates enter and exit from the stage here tonight.
Our first candidates tonight are running for the position of Vice President. (Insert additional information added about each candidate). Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your vice presidential candidates.
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(As both candidates walk in from the side door, the will both arrive at their desks, turn to each other, shake hands, and then be seated. Once they have seated, immediately go into the first question)
First response is to you, ___________. You have two minutes.
(Candidate gives response)
Thank you. ___________. You have two minutes.
(This will cycle for the next five questions until the two minute remark time)
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Thank you candidates. You each now have an additional two minutes for closing remarks. _______, the first two minutes are yours.
(response).
Thank you candidate. _______, your closing remarks.
(Response)
Thank you candidates. You may now leave the stage.
(As they leave, begin clapping for them to signal audience applause)
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Our finial candidates tonight are running for the position of President. (Insert additional information added about each candidate). Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your presidential candidates.
(Once they have seated, go through the same format as from the VP candidates. After the Presidential closing remarks you will dismiss them the same way, followed by final debate closing remarks)
And now ladies and gentlemen, to close tonight’s ASB Presidential Debates are ASB Director of Communications, Cortez Moss and SPJ President, Andrew Scott.
