Media FAQ: frequently asked questions

The following FAQ are based on the best and most current information available. All information is subject to change without notice. Media should check the media information section of the debate Web site for the latest updates and additions. If you have questions about this document, or would like to suggest the addition of a frequently asked question, please contact Gerry Everding, University Communications: (314) 935-6375; gerry_everding@wustl.edu.

See below for detailed tips on the getting to campus, parking, credentials, ordering services and equipment, finding food, cash machines and shopping, media filing center, spin alley, stand-up locations and workstations, satellite truck/network production trailers, network and affiliate work stations and debate hall workstations.

MEDIA KIT

Where can I find the latest informaton of interest to media covering the VP Debate at Washington University?

For ongoing updates on the media credentialing process, on-site technical services, food, logistics and services for media covering the debate, as well as fresh story ideas, student interviews, faculty experts and video and image resources, check back to this Media FAQ or visit Media Information, including the online Media Kit section of the WUSTL VP Debate Web site: debate.wustl.edu.

GETTING TO CAMPUS

How do I get to Washington University in St. Louis?

Directions to Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University’s Danforth Campus is centrally located in the St. Louis metropolitan area and is readily accessible from the major highways. All media entering campus for the first time must check in at the Media Welcome Center in the Laboratory Sciences Building on the Danforth Campus. The Lab Sciences Building is on Throop Drive, next to the Ann W. Olin Women’s Building. On-campus signage will direct media to the designated parking in an adjacent garage. Follow the signs to the Lab Sciences Building.

Driving directions to campus:

From the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport: Head east on I-70 to I-170 south. Take the Forest Park Parkway exit and, after a little less than 3 miles, make a right onto Skinker. Make a right onto Brookings Drive, turn right on Hoyt Drive, left on Throop Drive, and follow the signs to media parking area.

From the East on US 40 / I-64: Take Clayton Rd. exit. Turn right onto Skinker Blvd. Make a left onto Brookings Drive, turn right on Hoyt Drive, left on Throop Drive, and follow the signs to media parking area.

From the West on I-44: Take exit 282 for Laclede Station Rd. and turn left (north bound). Make a slight right at Big Bend Blvd. Make a right onto Clayton. Make a left onto Skinker and then a left onto Brookings Drive, turn right on Hoyt Drive, left on Throop Drive, and follow the signs to media parking area.

Taxi: The Lambert Airport Taxi company has taxis available 24/7 from one of several taxi stands at the airport terminal. Taxis pick-ups also may be requested by calling County Cab (314-991-5300) and Laclede Cab (314-652-3456). Cabs will be allowed to make drop-offs at the Media Welcome Center and pick-ups from Simon Hall, both on WUSTL’s Danforth Campus.

Metrolink: Follow the signs in the airport terminal for the Metrolink light rail mass transit system. Board the train heading eastbound. Take this train to the Forest Park station and deboard. Walk to the other side of the platform and wait for a westbound train with “Shrewsbury/I-44” on the destination display. Get off at the University City/Big Bend stop. Signage will direct media to walk east along the north side of Forest Park Parkway (the side of the street across from campus) to the pedestrian crossing across Forest Park Parkway at Throop Drive. Cross the Parkway and turn right onto Throop Drive, following it south, then east to the Media Welcome Center in the Laboratory Sciences Building. For more information on train routes and schedules, visit the Metrolink Web site: http://www.metrostlouis.org.

How can I obtain maps of campus locator maps, including maps of designated media parking areas and buildings used for the debate and media credentialing process? Are they available online?

Yes. Interactive online maps of the campus and its buildings, as well was downloadable pdf-versions of maps customized for media covering the debate, are posted in the Media Kit section Maps and directions to and around campus.

PARKING

Will there be designated parking for media covering the debate?

Designated parking for the media arriving in passenger cars or other light vehicles less than seven feet high (NO SATELLITE TRANSMISSION TRUCKS) will be available Monday, Sept. 29, through Thursday, Oct. 2, in the Throop Parking Facility (a.k.a. Millbrook Garage) at Throop Drive and Forest Park Parkway, adjacent to the Media Welcome Center in the Laboratory Science Building. A press I.D. will be required to gain access to the garage. On Oct. 2, media must enter the campus on Brookings Drive off Skinker Boulevard. Download a Danforth campus map.

Media will be allowed to enter the parking facility during the following times:

  • Monday, Sept. 29, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 30, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 1, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 2, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

The garage may be exited 24 hours a day.

(See below for parking and driving instructions for satellite transmission trucks/production trailers.)

MEDIA CREDENTIALS

Will media credentials be required to access the Athletic Complex during debate week?

Yes. All media will need authorized credentials to access the Athletic Complex. For access prior to Sept. 29, media may contact the Public Affairs Office at (314) 935-5230 to request individual assistance with pre-debate coverage. On Sept. 29, the public affairs office will begin staffing a Media Welcome Desk in the front lobby of the Athletic Complex; media authorized to be in the complex will be granted wristbands for access during regular operating hours. Beginning Sept. 30, CPD credentials issued by the U.S. Secret Service will be required for everyone accessing the Athletic Complex. For those bona fide news media that applied too late for U.S. Secret Service credentials, the University will offer an off-site Limited Access Media Pass to designated areas of the Danforth Campus. This pass will require proof of media status.

How, where and when can media pick up the debate credentials?

Media whose credentialing applications have been approved can pick up their credentials from the Media Welcome Center in the Laboratory Sciences Building on Washington University’s Danforth Campus. The Laboratory Sciences Building is on Throop Drive, next to the Ann W. Olin Women’s Building. Beginning Sept. 30, all media will be required to pick up and display their credentials before entering the secured perimeter of the Athletic Complex.

Media credentials will be distributed during the following hours (listed in local time):

  • Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Limited Access Media Pass, as described above, also will be issued at the Lab Sciences Building.

Important: The Secret Service is no longer requiring that credentials be picked up and signed for by the specific person being credentialed. Representatives of media groups and campus departments will now be allowed to pick up credentials on behalf of someone else, but the person picking up the credentials MUST BE SOMEONE WHO HAS CREDENTIALS. Persons with credentials who pick up credentials for others will be required to sign for those credentials and take responsibility for their distribution. Lost credentials will not be replaced. Lost credentials must be reported asap to the staff desk at the Media Welcome Center.

Will media credentials be required to access the public viewing area?

Yes. News media must have an approved on-site credential pass or a Limited-Access Media Pass while on campus. Both passes are distributed only at the Laboratory Sciences Building. For more information on the public viewing area, visit: http://debate.wustl.edu/publicviewing.html. Access to the Danforth Campus will be extremely limited on Oct. 1-2. Please click here for more information.

ORDERING SERVICES, EQUIPMENT

What hours will the on-site rate card desks be open for ordering last minute services and supplies?

The on-site media rate card desk in the Media Filing Center will be operational during the following hours:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The on-site rate card desk at the Media Welcome Center will be operational regular hours for credential pick-up (see schedule above); this rate card desk will be located in the Lab Science Building. Please call (314) 935-3588, 3308 or 3564 for pricing information or to place a phone order.

How can the media find help with questions or problems related to ordering equipment, catering, technical support services and other on-site logistics?

Washington University has organized a team of staff and vendor services liaisons to ensure that media are getting the support and technical assistance necessary to prepare for debate coverage. Visit the link below for a list of phone contacts willing to answer questions about phones, equipment, deliveries and other services available to debate media: http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/12348.html

FINDING FOOD, CASH MACHINES AND SHOPPING OPTIONS

Will food be available to media working in the Athletic Center on Debate Day?

On Oct. 2, Anheuser-Busch, national sponsor for the debates, will once again host a hospitality tent providing free food and beverages for media staffing the debate and other invited guests. The tent will be situated on the north side of the Athletic Complex and will be accessible by following signage from the Media Filing Center.

Where can I find information about food and drink options elsewhere on campus, or in surrounding business districts?

The Washington University campus offers a wide variety of eatery options, from coffee and doughnuts to full-scale restaurants. Most are cash-only. For more detailed information on these on-campus eateries, as well as links to Web site with lists of restaurant and entertainment options in nearby neighborhoods, visit: http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/12478.html.

Can media arrange to have food catered to their workstations in the Athletic Center?

No food can be catered to the Media Filing Center, but limited catering services may be available for media who make advance arrangements for other locations in the debate venue with one of two designated debate catering vendors; contact: Richard Nix, Butler’s Pantry, (314) 664-7680 ext. 12 (office), (314) 574-4295 (cell) or rln@butlerspantry.com; or Cathey Causey, Bon Appetit: (314) 935-7648 (office), (314) 575-5643 (cell), or cwillenborg@cafebonappetit.com. For additional assistance, contact John Schael, athletic director: (314) 935-5288; schael@wustl.edu.

Is there an ATM machine near the Athletic Complex?

Automated teller machines (ATMs) are located at Mallinckrodt Student Center (#63 on campus map) on the upper level and outside at the bakery entrance, and at the northwest corner of Seigle Hall (#91) by the Tao Tennis Courts. The ATMs take cards with the following logos: Visa, Plus, MasterCard, Cirrus, American Express, Discover, Maestro, Honor, and Star.

Is there a campus store near the Athletic Complex?

The Campus Bookstore in the Mallinckrodt Student Center (#63 on the campus map) offers books, apparel, gifts, souvenirs, accessories, supplies, computers and snacks; it’s open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and from noon-5 p.m. Sun. For more information: (314) 935-5500

MEDIA FILING CENTERS, STAND-UP LOCATIONS, WORKSTATIONS

Where is the Media Filing Center and what hours will it be available.

The Media Filing Center will be located in a recreational gymnasium on the lower level of the Athletic Complex, northeast of the basketball arena that will serve as the debate hall. The media filing center will be open and fully operational during the following hours:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 8:30 a.m. – until the last person leaves
  • Friday, October 3, 2008 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.

(hours may vary according to media need )

Where is Spin Alley and how will space assignments there be allocated?

Spin Alley will be located adjacent to the media filing center in the recreational gymnasium on the lower level of the Athletic Complex, northeast of the basketball arena that serves as the debate hall. Dedicated interview spaces in Spin Alley will be allocated through a lottery system. The CPD media team will be hosting the lottery draw for media Spin Alley assignments on the following schedule: Network (national offices of ABC, CBS, CNN, C-Span, NBC, Fox) draw Monday, Sept, 29 at 5 p.m.; locals/others draw Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m.

Will there be outdoor standup locations and how will they be allocated?

Plans call for about 40 outdoor standup locations to be available on three riser platforms located just outside the front entrance on the east side of the Athletic Complex. The standup locations will generally be available and operational from Tuesday, Sept. 30, through Friday, Oct. 3, with tear down after 2 p.m. on Oct. 3.

The CPD media team will be hosting the lottery draw for outdoor standup assignments on the following schedule: Network (national offices of ABC, CBS, CNN, C-Span, NBC, Fox) draw on Monday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m.; Locals/others draw Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. Media organizations must have a representative present to draw.

SATELLITE TRUCK/NETWORK PRODUCTION TRAILERS

Will there be space set aside near the Debate Hall as workspace for networks and affiliates?

Yes. The network and affiliate work spaces will be housed in the historic Francis Gymnasium, located in the Athletic Complex just south of the Debate Hall and just northwest of the satellite truck parking area. The network /affiliate work spaces will be open and generally available for use from Monday, Sept. 29, through Friday, Oct. 3, with tear down after 2 p.m. on Oct. 3. These must be reserved through the Media Rate Card Desk, and will be assigned by the CPD via a lottery system.

Will there be special parking arrangements for large satellite transmission trucks and network work trailers?

Yes, large media trucks will be allocated limited number of parking spaces on the athletic field in slots situated along the side of the fence alongside the north edge of Francis Field.

How do I reserve a location and order power and technical hook-ups for my transmission truck, work trailer?

On Sept. 29, a rate card desk will be set up in the Media Welcome Center to distribute parking passes for all media trucks and trailers. The rate card desk will be operational the following hours:

  • Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Please call (314) 935-3588, 3308 or 3564 for pricing information or to place a phone order.

Important: Media credentials and truck parking passes must be obtained before entering the Network/Affiliate Truck Parking area near the Athletic Complex — visit the Media Welcome Center in the Lab Sciences Building before attempting to park your truck.

When is the earliest and latest that satellite trucks/trailers will be allowed to enter the parking area?

Trucks will be able to access the parking area beginning Monday, Sept. 29. Once situated, trucks will not be allowed to exit and return. All trucks/trailers must be in position by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at which time no further parking will be allowed until the debate is over on Oct. 2.

The satellite/truck parking area will remain operational through Friday, Oct. 3. There will be no access to these locations during Secret Service security sweeps from 10 p.m. Oct. 1 until 5 a.m. Oct. 2.

What are the driving directions to access the satellite truck/work trailer parking area?

From Skinker Blvd: Turn west onto Forsyth Blvd. Turn right (north) onto Olympian Way. Follow signs on Olympian Way to network/affiliate truck parking.

From Big Bend Blvd (prior to Oct. 2): Turn east onto Forsyth Blvd. Turn left (north) onto Olympian Way. Follow signs on Olympian Way to network/affiliate truck parking.

DEBATE HALL WORK STATIONS

What work stations will be available inside the Debate Hall and how will these be allocated?

Media access to the Debate Hall will be severely limited primarily to still photographers, broadcast networks operating pool feeds and other media selected and credentialed by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The vast majority of credentialed media will watch the debate from television sets in the Media Filing Center.

What hours will these Debate Hall media locations be available to media authorized to work from them?

Network platforms in the Debate Hall, not including pool access needs, will be generally accessible for preparations beginning Monday, Sept. 29. Access may be limited during the day on Oct. 2 as the hall is closed for private candidate rehearsals; exact times to be determined. These locations will be available for broadcasts on the morning of Friday, Oct. 3, with tear down scheduled after 2 p.m.

Will there be work areas for photographers within the Debate Hall and what hours will they be accessible?

Yes. Workspace for photographers authorized to shoot within the debate hall will be available for preparations beginning Monday, Sept. 29. These locations will be available through Friday, Oct. 3, with tear down beginning after 2 p.m.