The 2004 presidential debate will be a historic moment, and there is tremendous interest in attending the event. Decisions have not yet been made regarding the total number of spectators allowed in the hall during the live debate. While it would be wonderful if the entire University community could be present in the Convocation Center, attendance will be extremely limited. President Shalala has determined that available seats will be distributed through a selection process to students. These decisions are not expected to be made until September.

Student Attendance
Students enrolled (course selected) for the fall 2004 semester who wish to attend the presidential debate must complete a Student Seat Application Form and submit an essay on the topic Democracy in Action: Make Your Vote Count. The application form is available online or by stopping by the University Center #228. The application deadline is Wednesday, September 8, 2004 at 5 p.m. Applications and essays are to be submitted to the Office of Student Life, University Center #228 or fax to 305-284-6895. Students will be notified via e-mail on September 24, 2004 regarding the status of their application.

Essay Guidelines and Seat Selection Procedures

• Essays must be typed, double spaced, maximum of 250 words, and fit on one page.
• Essays will be evaluated by a committee of faculty members using a blind grading process.
• Essays will be evaluated according to peer groups. The following classifications will be used: undergraduate - freshman, undergraduate - sophomore, undergraduate - junior, undergraduate - senior, graduate, law, and medical.
• The top ranked essays in each classification will be placed on a priority wait list. Once the number of seats available for students is known the wait list will be utilized to determine which students will be attending the debate.

For additional information on the Student Seat Selection Process, contact the Office of Student Life, University Center #228 at 305-284-2805 or e-mail debate.volunteers@miami.edu.

President George H. Bush greets students at the University of Massachusetts before the 1992 presidential debate.