USD Magazine, Fall 1996

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Physical plant employees built scaffolding for television media to position cameras from the rooftop of Olin Hall and the front of Camino Hall. Drafting experts drew plans for the media filing center that serviced the print journalists. And Manion worked to find a generator and power system that backed up the entire univer– sity the night of the debate. Asked how his department handled such an enormous workload in addition to extensive ren– ovation of other buildings and the usual summer clean-up work, Manion shrugged and said, "It just gets done." Other department leaders answer in much the same way. Each member of each department worked diligently to complete debate prepara-

ers?" and "What about restrooms for the cus– tomers?" The 200 dining services employees spent debate week staffing and cooking at the out– door tents as well as the deli and Marketplace that remained open inside Hahn University Center, preparing meals for the media and pro– viding food for various special events around campus. While keeping students, employees and visi– tors well fed was one major hurdle, equipping the campus for all those folks to view the debate was the next. Antoine Marcais, director of media services, began his quest for television monitors, sound equipment and video projectors

in June at a trade show. The early contact with vendors from around the country paid off and two weeks before the debate, equipment began arriving. Marcais was pleasantly surprised by the interest big corporations showed in helping out. "I found out how much humanity is out there," he says. "This kind of event brings out the best in people." The 16 media center staff members inventoried, tested and assigned the equipment to venues from the Sports Center gym to Shiley Theatre. From there, telecommunications technicians took over, hooking up and programming hundreds of televisions. Meanwhile, media center camera crews recorded press conferences, renovation work, student activities and special events for an archival video. They even took "before" and "after" footage of the rooms that were transformed into candidate green rooms. The so-called green rooms, traditionally places for the candidates to relax and prepare for their

tions in concert with regular duties. Judith Munoz, director of human resources, teamed with col– league Pat Watson to coordinate credentialing of the numerous employees and visitors who needed access to restricted buildings. The detailed work of checking each request kept the two busy, as did the last-minute decisions on which areas of campus would be restricted and when, much of which was decided by the Secret Service. Barbara Peterson, assistant director of the Office of Community Service-Learning, knows about details. Last spring, she created a database and began logging the names of student volunteers who signed up to help with debate preparations. The applications soon piled high. As debate week neared, Peterson filled hundreds of requests for student workers from the Commission on Presidential Debates, the media and university departments.

stage appearance, were furnished by Ruth Stanton, director of insti– tutional design. She planned the rooms to feel as comfortable as living rooms and decorated them with furniture lent by several fine antique dealers and design studios. Stanton also presided over the interior design of the renovated Shiley Theatre, choosing colors for paint and carpeting that com– plemented the two 17th century tapestries hanging on the side walls. She worked with a theater consultant to decide how wide the aisles should be and recruited a

Dave McCluskey, director of information systems, and Gary Dobson, telecommunications supervisor, worked with Pacific Bell, the local telephone company, to run cable and install more than 1,200 temporary phones in the media work space, production trailers and temporary offices. McCluskey and Dobson also worked closely with the Secret Service, which has a strict edict against driving the presidential motorcade under power lines. In their efforts to get cable to all the

Students checked in at the valuntaar cantar avary day far debate assignments.

right buildings, telecommunications could not string overhead lines anywhere the president's motorcade might be passing. These technicalities also kept Director of Dining Services Rudy Spano on his toes. He marvels at how a new crisis would crop up every day. As Spano worked with a party rental company to set up tents and outdoor kitchens on the Hahn University Center parking lot, he ran into questions like, "Where are the hand sinks for work-

cabinetmaker to carve the seat end panels with a traditional Spanish design. Even though the days were long and the challenges many, Stanton spoke for all involved in the planning process when she said, "It's been a fascinating experience."

- Jill Wagner '91

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