Under bright lights in a nearly empty auditorium, six University students tried to turn months of work into a three-minute speech.

Wednesday night, some fidgeted, some yawned, a foot poked out from under the table skirting. Most used notes, reading from cards or binders. One student scanned the empty seats and said his lines from memory, but a dry throat caused some stumbles.

The breathless delivery of one, the slouched posture of another and occasional mispronunciation of many all were forgivable – the real thing was two days away.

But this afternoon, it’s showtime.

Today, those six students will sit onstage in the University’s Center for Continuing Education, a few feet from the former leader of the free world, President Jimmy Carter.

With C-SPAN televising the event worldwide, the students will try to speak clearly, sit still and illustrate for Carter the lessons they have learned from studying areas of his administration.

The mission of the three-day conference, which begins today, clearly is explained in its title: “The Carter Presidency: Lessons for the 21st Century.”

Political celebrities and professors will analyze and comment on the Carter presidency and how its history can be applied today.

Carter, no stranger to criticism, requested the University involve students in the academic side of the conference.

“He left how we did that pretty open,” said Steven Elliott-Gower, who coordinated the students’ involvement in the conference.

Gower said he contacted different groups on campus that work with topics that were key during the Carter presidency.

The six areas selected were economic policy, energy policy, nuclear nonproliferation, Islamic fundamentalism, the Middle East and human rights.

Some of the groups he contacted were the Roosevelt Institution, the Center for International Trade and Security and Amnesty International. The groups recommended members participate in writing a paper to address one of the topics.

In late October 2006, groups of four to five students met and began research with a faculty member with expertise in their chosen area.

William D. Lastrapes, head of the economics department and mentor for the economic policy team, said he met with the team a number of times.

During their sessions, which lasted less than two months, he offered feedback and critiqued drafts of the group’s paper.

“They were careful to point out the positives and negatives in (Carter’s) policies,” he said.

Gower said he observed each group and took recommendations from faculty to select which team members would present the papers before the former president.

Listening to the speeches Wednesday night, it sounded like most of the presenters plan to mention the good and the bad of Carter’s policies, and compare the policies to those of the current presidential administration.

Are they nervous about their upcoming performances? It depends on the speaker.

“How could you not be nervous?” said Yannick Morgan, a senior from Tampa, Fla. who is presenting the paper on nuclear nonproliferation.

Benjamin Cobb, who is presenting the paper on energy policy said, “I’m not nervous, I’m basically a talking head.”

But the junior from Huntsville, Ala. did admit he has a lot of experience in public speaking.

Critiquing a former president aside, Helen Smith, the human rights paper presenter, said the experience has been unique.

“I have enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with faculty and other students,” said the senior from Charlotte, N.C. “It’s overwhelming that we’ve gotten to do this, and we will be

listened to.”