It’s 10 a.m. in Denver, and the University of Denver’s campus is not especially crowded. Volunteers stand on street corners giving directions. Students and non-students alike, wearing Denver Debate polos and pullovers, eat at the nearby Starbucks and Blueggers Bagels. As best they can, they make their way around the fences that surround the Magness Arena and the main quad, where the Debate Fest – a debate-dedicated festival for DU students – will be held later this afternoon.

It’s typical for events like these, but the fencing and street closures have provided some headaches for residents of the area. A barbershop across the street apologized for closing early. Sports teams, unable to practice in their usual spaces, have had to ride buses to alternative sites. “It’s a cluster***k,” Todd Taylor, one of their drivers who also escorts the foreign press corps, said.

It’s not all bad — I-25 is not yet closed, and Will Borkan, a senior at DU who is one of the several hundred corner volunteers, said that the street closures wouldn’t be too bad for him. “It’s pretty mild,” he said.

“This is minor compared to the Democratic National Convention in 2008,” Taylor said.
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