A higher education institution is defined largely by the students it serves. So it was fitting that Ole Miss students were vital in achieving a new world perception of Ole Miss.

Proving their ability to guide this country and world into the future, students created guidelines for a fair distribution of the coveted “golden tickets” to the debate. Student leaders, intent on including everyone in the once-in-a-lifetime moment, created a process that ensured each student had an equal chance to be involved not only in the debate but also in all of the opportunities surrounding the debate.

Representatives from every facet of student life came together to form the UM Presidential Debate Student Steering Committee. Organizing events ranging from laser tag pursuit to an interactive trivia game, students from every discipline and walk of life came together to take part in Ole Miss history.

Two dozen students enrolled in a debate-style class that culminated in a competition awarding a debate ticket to the winner. Students also organized two lotteries for tickets—one accepting applications from student leaders, another entering students who participated in any of the approved debate-related events.

When the debate hall was quiet and the campus had returned to its normal pace, the students themselves reveled in their success and the impact of the university’s new status in the world.

Tyler Clemons, editor of the student-run Daily Mississippian, remarked that the English language is insufficient to express the gratitude that comes with being a part of history.

“We students will go about our lives just as we always have,” he said. “One thing is certain, however: This university will never be the same. Our steps will be just a bit lighter, the gleam in our eyes will be just a bit brighter, and we will hold our heads a bit higher when we tell some inquiring stranger that we represent The University of Mississippi.”

Clemons was one of 150 students to receive a ticket to the debate. He, like many others, remarked that it was an experience forever ingrained in his memory, especially the moment when the students in the audience were asked to stand and were met with overwhelming applause.

“As I stood with my fellow Rebels and our chancellor amid the applauding masses of the media and political elite, my heart swelled with pride,” he said. “The magnitude of the moment—what it meant for me and what it meant for our university—hit me full force.”