One of the greatest moments in the University’s history came and went Wednesday night.

After 11 months of preparation, lectures and other events, the third and final presidential debate happened here. The David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex was transformed to a place students wouldn’t recognize if they didn’t know what it was already. The floor was covered in red carpeting, the back had little stages for the news outlets and, of course, students were seated on the floor chairs and in the balcony.

Even with all the frustration surrounding the lack of parking, road closures, buildings closing and classes being moved and new vehicle tags, this event was worth it. Because of Wednesday night, everyone seems to be proud to be associated with the University. Students can now tell their friends that they go to Hofstra and people will actually know what they are talking about.

However, now that it is all over, things will go back to normal. The Physical Fitness Center needs to be changed back for a volleyball match on Friday. The Secret Service will no longer be walking around campus and light pole will no longer don Debate ’08 banners. It is possible that the campus will look like nothing ever happened, but we all know that something huge happened.

This was probably a once-in-a-lifetime event for most students, but maybe as Univesity President Rabinowitz said he wishes for, a twice-in-a-lifetime event if the University is chosen again to host a debate in 2012 and the current first year students stop back for a view of the excitement just after they graduate.

Having a presidential debate at the University was also an experience for The Chronicle. Our reporters were out covering the events happening around campus throughout the day and senior editors were inside the media filing center and the debate hall in the evening. We stayed up throughout the night and the morning to turn over stories for this issue.

The Chronicle is proud to have been a part of this experience in the University’s history.