UMass may be big winner in faceoff

By David Abel, Globe Correspondent, 9/30/2000

s important as the upcoming presidential debates are to the political fortunes of the Democratic and Republican contenders, another party to the quadrennial clash may have more to gain.

Long after the verbal sparring becomes a historical footnote, when the candidates go on to bigger or smaller things, the afterglow of the national spotlight can linger for years, in some cases decades, on the college campus that hosts the debate.

The benefits of such an unparalleled promotional opportunity go beyond boosting a school's name recognition, stature, and community goodwill. In many cases, according to officials at colleges that previously hosted debates, the perks include a significant spike in enrollment, a jump in alumni support and school spirit, and a rise in renown for some faculty.

In 1992, the University of Richmond saw applications jump the following year by nearly 10 percent. The Georgia Institute of Technology, another 1992 debate host, in part attributes its selection to host the 1996 Olympic Village to its performance in organizing the debate. And the College of William & Mary is still basking in the glory of hosting the 1976 debate by prominently featuring the fact in many brochures.

As the University of Massachusetts prepares to host this election year's first presidential debate Tuesday night on its Boston campus, officials are hoping for more than a smooth show. With more than $2 million invested and a year's worth of time spent lobbying for the debate, they're expecting the 90-minute-long limelight to translate into everything from more money from the state L egislature to an increase in student applications.

''This is a very big deal for us,'' said John Hoey, a university spokesman. ''Just think about what the Final Four did for UMass-Amherst (in 1996). We expect this to have the same sort of impact.''

Although the university won't be allowed to post its logo on the podium, officials have draped banners almost everywhere else. They've also revised admissions catalogues and other pamphlets heralding their hosting of a presidential debate.

With $100,000 alone devoted to marketing, the university has hung 150 debate-promoting banners on utility poles in the financial district, Back Bay, and along Morrissey Boulevard, the road leading to UMass-Boston. Officials have ordered 5,000 commemorative debate pins, 4,000 T-shirts, and 2,000 grab bags for the media stuffed with gifts including a folk CD from UMass-Boston's public radio station and a special bookmark from the university's president.

Other publicity preparations include 800 feet of bunting, more than a dozen large UMass banners hanging in the media room, reams of crisp promotional literature, and two massive signs welcoming Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush.

''The goal is to build excitement and take advantage of this opportunity to showcase ourselves to the world,'' said Kathy Teehan, UMass-Boston's marketing director.

While some complain that the cash-strapped urban campus is diverting too many resources to an event that only marginally benefits its 13,000 mainly working-class commuter students, the experience of other university hosts suggests the money is well spent.

At the University of Richmond in Virginia, which had 89 million people watch the first ''town hall'' debate it hosted in 1992 between then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, President George Bush, and Ross Perot, applications soared 9.6 percent in the academic year after the debate.

''Other than for admissions, many of the benefits are incalculable,'' said Carolyn Martin, executive assistant to the president who helped organize the debate. ''It was a tremendous rallying moment. The divisions between academic departments completely erased, it galvanized students, and it had a huge ripple effect that took the city by storm.''

At Georgia Tech in Atlanta, which hosted the 1992 vice presidential debate between then-Tennessee Senator Al Gore, Vice President Dan Quayle, and retired Admiral James Stockdale, the main perk was proving the school could put together an event broadcast to more than 50 million people.

In 1996, when Atlanta hosted the Olympic games, Georgia Tech beat out other potential sites to become the city's Olympic Village, where all the athletes lived. ''I think the presidential debates made a big difference,'' said Amelia Gambino, an institute spokesman.

The 65 million people who watched the 1988 debate at Wake Forest University in North Carolina (between then-Vice President George Bush and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis) was such a boon to the school it sought and clinched a debate again this year.

Among many of the benefits to the university, enrollment increased the following year by 5 percent, donations from alumni went up, and at least one student who organized the debate went on to a powerful political position in Washington.

''It was unbelievable the amount of international visibility we had,'' said Sandra Boyette, a university spokeswoman. ''We got so many (newspaper and magazine) clips, we told the clip service to stop. We didn't want to pay for them anymore.''

At the last presidential debate in 1996, viewed by a relatively small audience of 36 million people, the effect on the University of San Diego far outweighed the impact on either President Clinton or Kansas Senator Bob Dole.

The media attention plucked the small, Catholic college from obscurity, permanently embossing its name on the national consciousness and boosting the number of applicants ever since, school officials said.

Still, with so many journalists lurking around Columbia Point, the publicity could backfire.

In some recent accounts in national publications, reporters have called attention to two bodies unearthed less than a mile away from UMass-Boston. The dead men are allegedly the victims of James ''Whitey'' Bulger, the fugitive brother of UMass president William M. Bulger. The fact that Whitey Bulger was charged this week in the deaths of 16 men and two women doesn't help.

But the public relations team at the University of Massachusetts is not worried. In high promotional gear arranging interviews for top school officials and ensuring the university is set properly for the incoming swarm of television cameras, they say they have more urgent concerns.

''I think it's perverse to try to make a correlation between the two (brothers),'' said Robert Connolly, a university spokesman. ''Things beyond our control could go wrong, and there might be unfavorable associations. But we're confident it will go well and we certainly welcome the training of the national spotlight on this campus.''