• VISITORS
  • Welcome
  • Campus Map
  • Getting to Oxford
  • Lodging
  • Online Tours
  • Oxford Map
• MEDIA
  • Welcome
  • Credentials & Parking
  • Faculty Experts
  • Important Contacts
  • Media Maps
  • Rate Sheet
  • Student Leaders
  • Technology Support
  • UM Facts
• ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
  • Overview
  • Calendar of Events
  • Courses
  • Exhibits
  • For Alumni
  • Student Tickets
  • Volunteer
• RESOURCES
  • Overview
  • Debate Commission
  • Debate Logos
  • Debate Subject Guide
  • Facebook Group
  • Podcasts
  • RSS Feeds
  • Screensaver
  • Wallpapers
• NEWS
  • News
  • UM Newsdesk
• FAQs

• NEWS
  • News
  • UM Newsdesk
• CALENDAR OF EVENTS
• CAMPUS INFO
• GETTING TO OXFORD
• GIVING TO OLE MISS
• REGISTER TO VOTE
• SPONSORS
• STUDENT TICKETS

• UM HOME

September 23, 2008

OXFORD, Miss. - The second time was the charm for University of Mississippi freshman Taylor McGraw, who won a coveted ticket to Friday's presidential debate by winning The Daily Mississippian's policy writing contest.

McGraw, a 19-year-old Oxford native, had to start over and write a second policy proposal after the topic of the contest was changed. The Commission on Presidential Debates and the candidates' staffs changed the topic of the debate in August from domestic issues to foreign policy.
He completed his second submission and turned it in Sunday night with only a few minutes to spare. On Tuesday morning, as he checked his e-mail, he was quite surprised to find that he had won.

"I wasn't originally planning on writing another one," McGraw said. "But Sunday, I was just sitting around watching football and decided to write again. I spent about six or seven hours on it."

His winning proposal deals with U.S. relations with China and how the two nations can improve trade relations. He has prepared a condensed version that will run in the opinion section of Friday's Mississippian.

Five faculty members from the political science and public policy departments and three members of the Mississippian's editorial staff judged the submissions in a blind judging process.

"His proposal stood out because it was specific, and it was clear that he really did his research," Daily Mississippian Editor Tyler Clemons said. "He pointed out practical solutions, too, that seem like they could be done by the U.S. government."

McGraw is in his first semester of college and is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. While he has not decided on a major, he is considering public policy leadership, business administration or journalism.

Though McGraw had scholarships offers from other universities such as Emory and Tulane, he decided that UM was the right choice for him. And he thinks the debate underscores why he made that decision.

"Nationally, I don't think Ole Miss gets the respect it deserves because of its checkered past," McGraw said. "The debate coverage will hopefully showcase to the world the strides which we have made and the bright direction in which we are headed."

The presidential debate is set for 8 p.m. Friday in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. It airs live on all major networks at 8 p.m.