Debate news brightens day on UMass-Boston campus

By David Abel, Globe Correspondent, 9/15/2000

or much of the past two weeks, a pall of doubt was cast over a year's worth of optimism emanating from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Discussed as the first of three campuses to host a presidential debate, the urban commuter school had seen a chance to shine before an audience of perhaps 100 million people.

But when Governor George W. Bush of Texas, the Republican presidential nominee, announced that he had a different plan for the presidential debates, one that would exclude the debate co-hosted by the John F. Kennedy Library, many people at UMass-Boston and throughout the city thought the past year of hard work and more than $1 million raised would be for naught.

Lighting, hotel, and transportation contracts were put on hold.

Everything changed yesterday afternoon. UMass-Boston Chancellor Sherry Penney received a call that immediately restored the campus's optimism. About 4 p.m., Paul G. Kirk Jr., cochair of the Commission on Presidential Debates and chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, told her the good news: The Boston debate was back on.

''There were a lot of people in my office at the time,'' Penney said. ''I just called out, `We've done it.'''

In a news conference, Penney and William M. Bulger, president of the University of Massachusetts, insisted they never had any doubts that Bush would debate in Boston.

''We were quietly confident,'' Bulger said. ''Each time we spoke, we asked each other, `I can't think of why Governor Bush wouldn't want to debate here.'''

The Bush campaign, however, has been publicly skittish about the Boston debate because of the JFK Library's sponsorship and its proximity to UMass-Boston. ''At face value,'' a Bush campaign official told reporters, ''it seems difficult to argue that [the UMass-Boston campus] is neutral territory.''

Debate commission officials would not say what changed Bush's mind. In a phone interview, Kirk denied that the commission made any changes to its original plan.

''It was made clear we didn't have any wiggle room,'' said Kirk, who yesterday also called Bulger, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and Governor Paul Cellucci with the news. ''There weren't any compromises. A lot of work went into this by a lot of people. I'm just glad to see all the work will come to fruition.''

The debate's return has been especially gratifying for Penney, who earlier this year announced her retirement as chancellor of UMass-Boston amid criticism for the high turnover of deans and directors during her tenure and for failing to recruit or retain top academics.

The euphoria at UMass-Boston was evident yesterday afternoon in the wide grins of Penney, Bulger, and their aides.

Everything that was on hold is now being set back in motion. Plans for carpeting and curtains, chairs, special lights for the television cameras, paved roads and telecommunications work, painting and stage settings, tents and portable toilets, are being put back on schedule to be completed before the Oct. 3 debate.

''The suspension hurt our momentum and some morale,'' said Tom Keady, project manager for the debate commission in Boston. ''Now, we're just going to work longer hours to make sure everything gets done.''

The work starts today. City workers will be out in force hanging banners heralding Boston's first presidential debate.

On her way from the athletic center, Penney said the debate will go off without a hitch.

''We have a lot of work to do,'' Penney said. ''But we're very excited.''