Fifteen minutes before start time; hall is full. Stage set up with six semi-easy chairs for candidates to the right. Each chair separated by a small wooden end table. There’s a podium for the moderator slightly to the left of center stage and two long banquet tables with blue skirting for the student questioners. A large screen hovers high above the stage on which video images from the TV feed will be projected. That screen is flanked by two large banners. Each says Boston Herald and University Massachusetts Lowell present US Senate Debate, October 4, 2011.

If you’re on Twitter, use #UMLdebate hashtag to submite questions and follow events in the hall.