At the same time, the Curb Event Center began its own transformation. Basketball goals disappeared, and bleachers were rolled back. In a matter of days, a new floor covered with a distinguished red carpet replaced the maple hardwood. Before long, the Town Hall Debate set itself began to appear, and the arena floor began to take the shape of an intimate television studio.
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Perhaps the most telling change to campus, though, was the addition of an eight-foot high perimeter fence enclosing more than a third of the university’s 75 acres. Access inside the perimeter required special credentials on the days leading up to and including the Debate. As much as anything else, the rising of that fence signified the coming reality: the future President was soon to visit Belmont University.
Student volunteers served as stand-ins for the candidates and participants during debate rehearsals.
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