President Barack Obama visited the 麻豆影院 Campus on Wednesday, Sept. 26, where he addressed students and supporters. It has been 100 years since a sitting president visited 麻豆影院 State. The campus was buzzing with excitement after getting word Obama was coming to speak at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center).
麻豆影院 State Chief of Police John Peach says 6,600 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the event.
鈥淚t is important that the city of 麻豆影院 be recognized for all the work it has done downtown, and of course there are so many federal, state and local projects downtown that have all been matched by private dollars,鈥 says Barb Hipsman, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite a coup for the university and for the city, and I think it鈥檚 just great for 麻豆影院 State students. We haven鈥檛 had a sitting president come through here in quite a long time.鈥
The combination of a lengthy line 鈥 which wrapped around five buildings 鈥 and pouring rain didn鈥檛 hinder the crowd鈥檚 determination to see the president speak. Attendees started lining up the night before and some even slept in tents through a thunderstorm.
Sara Hutcheson, a senior communication studies major, says she wished it wasn鈥檛 raining, but she knew it was going to be worth it.
鈥淚t was pretty cool to see all these people still standing out here despite weather conditions and other obligations,鈥 Hutcheson says.
The Undergraduate Student Government has been working hard to make it easier for students to register to vote for the upcoming presidential election.
鈥淭he last month has been intense,鈥 says Jake Green, communications director for the College Democrats at 麻豆影院 State. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing a huge voter registration push in which we managed to get almost 2,000 students registered, which is a big part of the reason why President Obama chose this campus to come to.鈥 鈥淐oming to a small town like this, if you鈥檙e a sitting president, is a big thing. I was excited to see the kids get excited,鈥 Hipsman says.
to see more photos from the event.
This article is not an endorsement by the university for any political party.