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Wright State cancels plans to host presidential debate

By Allen Cone
Wright State University, near Dayton, Ohio, withdrew as the site for a presidential debate in September at Nutter Center. Photo courtesy of Wright State University
Wright State University, near Dayton, Ohio, withdrew as the site for a presidential debate in September at Nutter Center. Photo courtesy of Wright State University

DAYTON, Ohio, July 19 (UPI) -- Wright State University withdrew from hosting the first presidential debate in September, citing increased costs, the university president David Hopkins announced Tuesday.

Instead, the debate will take place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., on the same date, Sept. 26, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced. The private school, which agreed to serve as an alternate site last year, hosted a presidential debate in 2012.

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Wright State, with 18,000 students on the main campus in Dayton, Ohio, noted increased costs, mainly related to security, in a release explaining the decision to withdraw. The projected costs were as much as $8 million.

The school hopes to recoup at least some of the $2 million fee it has paid to the commission in advance. About $500,000 has been spent on upgrades to Nutter Center, where the debate would have taken place.

"This is a very difficult decision," Hopkins said. "But there has been a growing crescendo of concern about what it would take to guarantee the safety and security of the campus and the community. The expense would be daunting."

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Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Bridges agreed with the decision.

"It's the responsible thing to do," Bridges said in a release. "While the community has been overwhelmingly supportive of Wright State hosting the debate, the safety and security of the campus and community is of paramount importance."

Because it is a public university, unlike private universities that have hosted debates in the past, the school can't restrict public access to its campus. This has added to increased costs, the university said.

"We were fully aware of the challenges and were prepared to meet them when we decided to host the debate, but things have changed," Hopkins said. "The current national environment has made security even more critical."

WSU overspent its budget by $34 million this year. Last month, trustees approved a plan to recoup a savings of $27.7 million over next two years — $8 million through staff attrition and $18.9 million from reserves.

Hopkins thanked students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community for their help preparing for the event.

"They have worked tirelessly," said Hopkins. "I can't thank them enough for their efforts."

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