EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated.

Orangeburg, S.C. – South Carolina State University is poised to make history Thursday as one of the first historically black colleges to host a presidential debate.

The Democratic presidential debate -- the first of the 2008 campaign season -- will be held on the campus of South Carolina State in Orangeburg, South Carolina, which was founded in 1896 as the state’s only public college for black youth.

All eight major Democratic candidates -- including Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) -- are expected to attend the debate, which begins at 7 p.m. More than 300 media organizations from around the world will cover the debate, which will be moderated by NBC News Managing Editor Brian Williams and broadcast live on MSNBC.

Dr. Robert Barrett, dean of the College of Business and Applied Professional Sciences at S.C. State, said the debate is historic.

"We’re very thankful to the Democratic Party and especially Representative James Clyburn for their role in bringing it to this campus," Barrett said. "It’s significant because not only is it the first of its kind in this political season, but all the eight major candidates in the party will be participating."

Morgan State University was the first HBCU to host a presidential debate when, in Sept. 2003, nine Democratic presidential candidates held court at Morgan's Murphy Fine Arts Center in Baltimore. Sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, the debate was televised nationally on the Fox News Channel.

Colorado state Sen. Peter C. Groff, publisher of Blackpolicy.org and executive director of the Center for African American Policy at the University of Denver, said the debate will have a far-reaching impact.

"Facilitating the debate at a black academic institution not only enhances the credibility of the state's Black political establishment, from House Majority Whip James Clyburn to the influential South Carolina Black Legislative Caucus. It also underscores the extent of our political progress over the past 40 years," Groff said.

"Typically, predominantly white college settings are a preferred venue for many political debates, but Democratic primary candidates are hard pressed to curry favor with South Carolina's loyal base of black Democratic voters," he said.

Thursday’s debate will kick off the South Carolina Democratic Party’s 2007 Convention weekend, featuring the state party’s Jefferson Jackson Dinner and Rep. James Clyburn’s (D-SC) Annual Fish Fry on Friday, and the State Democratic Party Convention on Saturday.

"The NBC News/South Carolina Democratic Party Debate at S.C. State not only presents an incredible opportunity for the talented field of Democratic candidates running for president to make their case to the voters of South Carolina, but it also presents an amazing opportunity for every citizen of this state to have South Carolina issues, values and voices front and center in the national spotlight," Clyburn said in a statement.

"I fully expect that the leading Democrats who are considering a run for the presidency will not miss this opportunity to travel to Orangeburg and meet the terrific students, faculty and staff of S.C. State for this historic occasion," Clyburn said.

Despite the limited access to the debate due to the size of the MLK auditorium, students and faculty were given ample opportunity to acquire tickets to the closed-circuit viewing in Smith-Hammond-Middleton auditorium, which will hold an average of 3,000 people.

With a barrage of news crews and the ongoing renovation activities, the debate has attracted national publicity for the university. SCSU Financial Aid Counselor Ashley Hughes described the upcoming debate as "very significant for the university."

"This lets other colleges and universities around the United States know that we are on the map and that we are capable of hosting an event of this national importance," Hughes said.

University faculty, staff and students, as well as local residents, agree the debate has also generated an atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm for all who are anticipating its outcome. Among the highly anticipated issues were the Iraq war, America's education system and the Darfur genocide.

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, an Orangeburg native, told the Orangeburg Times and Democrat that the city’s diversity makes S.C. State an "interesting" place to host the debate.

"I actually think that you could argue that Orangeburg is certainly more diverse than most communities than in New Hampshire and Iowa," Robinson said in an interview with the newspaper.

"The South is always a battleground," he said. "The question of where African-Americans turn is really more of a crucial question this year for all the Democratic candidates. This year, it’s really in play," Robinson said. "So, I think Orangeburg is a pretty good place to have a debate. For the candidates, it’s certainly as good as any place else."

"I think this is a really big deal for Orangeburg, for South Carolina State and, really, for the whole community," Robinson added, "because this is the first Democratic debate. I think the whole political world is going to be paying very close attention to the debate."

Dr. Daniel Hembree, a professor of religion and philosophy at Claflin University, said all black colleges will benefit from the debate.

"I think this is an excellent opportunity for SCSU and Claflin, as well as other HBCUs," Hembree said. "It is the first time that an event of this scale is being held on an HBCU campus, and it says to the world that ‘we’ are here and ‘we’ do exist."

Hembree wants black issues to take center stage too, he says.

"My hope and expectation is that all the candidates will address not only issues of a global concern that all Americans are concerned about, but also address issues that are very important for the African-American constituency," said Hembree. "Speaking to us and having this event take place in this particular cultural context, we can determine whether or not the candidates are sensitive to our issues and concerns."

Students also acknowledged the prestige associated with this event.

"Having the debate here is very significant. They could have chosen any other location, but we were chosen," said freshman Geneva Mackey.

"This is big for Orangeburg and all HBCUs really. A lot of people have never heard of Orangeburg or SCSU so this definitely puts us on the map among other institutions," senior George Lamar said. Lamar is looking forward to the discussion concerning gas prices and interest rates on student loans.

"Usually, I wouldn’t expect an event of this magnitude to take place at a black school. The fact that it is gives our school an elevated status," according to freshman Amanda Cooper. Cooper, who is of Liberian descent, is especially concerned with the candidates’ discussion of the genocide in Darfur.

Willie Johnson III, WSSB-FM's sports and gospel director, believes having the presidential candidates on the campus puts a positive spin on the university’s reputation.

"Right now, the university is making history, and the atmosphere is a really positive one that the students especially want to be a part of," Johnson said. "There is a lot of excitement surrounding the debate, and we’re looking forward to hearing the plans to improve the country."

Johnson is looking forward to hearing the candidates discuss a broad range of issues, which he feels "the current president is not addressing."

As expected, there are extreme security measures in place for the debate. According to campus officer Tim Smith, the whole campus is on lock down, with the presence of Secret Service, local, state and federal agents, bomb squad trucks, K9 units, prisoner transport and several stationed campus officers.

Due to the tight security, there is restricted mobile access, thus creating parking issues for some students.

Adam Biggs, a professor of history and sociology at Claflin, said he will be watching and listening closely to the debate Thursday night.

"It is an important symbolic gesture that the Democratic Party is trying to make by bringing the debate here," he said.

"I look forward to seeing to what extent they will be dealing with issues that are relevant to race, to African-Americans living in the south in rural communities and lower socio-economic communities," said Biggs, "and basically how much they are really going to be engaged with the issues that are most pertinent to the people in this area."

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Onyekachi Ogba is a student at Claflin University.