Man wearing festive paper hat with stars and stripes patterns. He is at the 1996 Republican National Convention.

“UM's ability to win the competition to host a debate is a real coup for the university and its dynamic president, Donna Shalala.”
- The Editorial Board of the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel newspaper

“We asked for the first debate and we got the first debate. That’s the one that everybody watches. The whole world is going to be watching on Sept. 30.”
- University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala

''We wanted to make sure that the person who will lead us for the next four years understands about Native Americans.''
- Chairman Billy Cypress of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians during the press conference that the Tribe is donating $1 million to the University to pay for production costs of the debate.

"The media coverage will be huge. Print and broadcast reporters from all over the world, major newspapers, wire services—they’re all going to be here; you can count on that."
– Sam Roberts, the Frances L. Wolfson Chair in Communication Studies at the University of Miami School of Communication

"The debate has the potential to highlight the fact that Miami has come of age as a global city, with forward-thinking people living within a multicultural environment that speaks to our new century with hope."
– Greg Bush, professor of history, University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences

"More people in Miami and South Florida are likely to pay attention to the campaign and to the buildup to the debate. We’ll have a far more intimate look at the hoopla and media attention that surround this event."
– Daniel Stevens, assistant professor of political science, University of Miami School of Business Administration, on how the presidential debate will impact the community and region

"Most debates are decided, even at the highest level, by debaters who either fail to answer or fail to capitalize on an opponent’s missed opportunity."
– David Steinberg, faculty advisor to the University of Miami debate team and president-elect of the Cross Examination Debate Association, the primary national association for intercollegiate academic debate