diff --git a/settings/default.py b/settings/default.py
index 2d6e665e2339be65120643e0841ca3d004ca15ab..2f4fa4a96137629782e0f01500423da0234e347b 100644
--- a/settings/default.py
+++ b/settings/default.py
@@ -257,30 +257,64 @@ ADMIN_MEDIA_PREFIX = '/media/'
 # Make this unique, and don't share it with anybody.
 SECRET_KEY = DEFAULT_SECRET_KEY
 
+# Upgrade template settings to 1.8
+TEMPLATES = [
+    {
+        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
+        'DIRS': [
+            '/home/gracedb/gracedb/templates',
+        ],
+        'APP_DIRS': True,
+        'OPTIONS': {
+            'context_processors': [
+                # Defaults
+                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
+                'django.core.context_processors.debug',
+                'django.core.context_processors.i18n',
+                'django.core.context_processors.media',
+                'django.core.context_processors.static',
+                # Extra additions
+                'django.core.context_processors.request',
+                'gracedb.middleware.auth.LigoAuthContext',
+                'middleware.debug.LigoDebugContext',
+                'ligoauth.context_processors.shib_login_url',
+            ],
+        },
+    },
+]
+
 # List of callables that know how to import templates from various sources.
-TEMPLATE_LOADERS = (
-    #'django.template.loaders.filesystem.load_template_source',
-    # replaced by...
-    'django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader',
-    # Upgrade to 1.4
-    #'django.template.loaders.app_directories.load_template_source',
-    'django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader',
-#     'django.template.loaders.eggs.load_template_source',
-)
+#TEMPLATE_LOADERS = (
+#    #'django.template.loaders.filesystem.load_template_source',
+#    # replaced by...
+#    'django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader',
+#    # Upgrade to 1.4
+#    #'django.template.loaders.app_directories.load_template_source',
+#    'django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader',
+##     'django.template.loaders.eggs.load_template_source',
+#)
+#
+#TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
+#    #"django.core.context_processors.auth",
+#    # replaced by...
+#    "django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth",
+#    "django.core.context_processors.debug",
+#    "django.core.context_processors.i18n",
+#    "django.core.context_processors.media",
+#    "django.core.context_processors.static",
+#    "django.core.context_processors.request",
+#    "gracedb.middleware.auth.LigoAuthContext",
+#    'middleware.debug.LigoDebugContext',
+#    'ligoauth.context_processors.shib_login_url',
+#)
+#
+## Put strings here, like "/home/html/django_templates" or "C:/www/django/templates".
+## Always use forward slashes, even on Windows.
+## Don't forget to use absolute paths, not relative paths.
+#TEMPLATE_DIRS = (
+#   "/home/gracedb/gracedb/templates",
+#)
 
-TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
-    #"django.core.context_processors.auth",
-    # replaced by...
-    "django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth",
-    "django.core.context_processors.debug",
-    "django.core.context_processors.i18n",
-    "django.core.context_processors.media",
-    "django.core.context_processors.static",
-    "django.core.context_processors.request",
-    "gracedb.middleware.auth.LigoAuthContext",
-    'middleware.debug.LigoDebugContext',
-    'ligoauth.context_processors.shib_login_url',
-)
 
 AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = (
 #   'gracedb.middleware.auth.LigoAuthBackend',
@@ -322,13 +356,6 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = [
 
 ROOT_URLCONF = 'urls'
 
-TEMPLATE_DIRS = (
-    # Put strings here, like "/home/html/django_templates" or "C:/www/django/templates".
-    # Always use forward slashes, even on Windows.
-    # Don't forget to use absolute paths, not relative paths.
-    "/home/gracedb/gracedb/templates",
-)
-
 INSTALLED_APPS = (
     'django.contrib.auth',
     'django.contrib.admin',
diff --git a/templates/base.html b/templates/base.html
index 866070ceb0ed63cd13e54a55823381d77724c77c..9d0e73dca9cbe374f1db1b847a40ea6e6b50b453 100644
--- a/templates/base.html
+++ b/templates/base.html
@@ -32,24 +32,30 @@ function changeTime(obj, label) {
 <div id="content">
 
 <center>
-<h1> GraceDB &mdash; Gravitational Wave Candidate Event Database</h1>
+<h1>GraceDB &mdash; Gravitational Wave Candidate Event Database</h1>
 </center>
 
 {% block nav %}
     {% include "navbar_frag.html" %}
 {% endblock %}
 
-        <p>&nbsp;</p> <!-- bad way to create vertical space -->
+    <p>&nbsp;</p> <!-- bad way to create vertical space -->
 
 {% load flash %}
 {% flash %}
     <div id="status_block" class="{{ params.class }}">{{ msg }}</div>
 {% endflash %}
 
+{% if user.is_staff %}
+<!-- debug information for admins -->
+<div id="debugDiv">
+    <!--<pre>{% filter force_escape %} {% debug %} {% endfilter %}</pre> -->
+</div>
+{% endif %}
 
-        <h2>{% block heading %}Title{% endblock %}</h2>
-
+    <h2>{% block heading %}Title{% endblock %}</h2>
 
+<p>test</p>
         {% block content %}{% endblock %}
 
     </div>