Obama visits Terre Haute

Senator Barack Obama visited Terre Haute last week to speak at Terre Haute North Vigo High School as part of his presidential campaign. The rally took place on Friday, April 11 at 8 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Tickets for the event were available at The Meadows Shopping Center and were in high demand. Senior civil engineering major Stuart Nash explained, "We knew that in a town full of college students there would be a lot of demand for the tickets. So we decided to get in line by 5:30 a.m. to guarantee we would be able to see him on Friday."

As Nash predicted, the tickets were popular and were quickly claimed. The next day, Terre Haute North Vigo High School opened their doors for the event at 6:15 pm. Nathan Ingersoll, a junior electrical engineering major, stated, "The place was packed and there was a ton of energy in the gymnasium." Todd Nation, a Terre Haute city councilman and Obama campaign volunteer, opened the event followed by an introduction by Bianca Gamble, another volunteer and past president of the League of Women Voters. Gamble stated, "I was honored and humbled at being given that opportunity. I'll always remember it."

Senator Obama spoke to the Terre Haute community for about an hour about his beliefs on many issues, including the termination of the No Child Left Behind program, his support of the development of alternative energy sources, ending the war in Iraq, and his views on universal healthcare. Ingersoll stated, "The speech was very enlightening and reinforced my absentee vote cast in Wisconsin. Even if you disagree with Barack's stance on the issues, nobody is able to deny that he is an exceptional orator and it was a treat to witness him in person."

Senior electrical engineering major Leven Browne said, "I have seen many of his speeches on TV and the Internet, so the message that he conveyed at the meeting was not new to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the reactions of the audience. Some of the supporters that sat near me consistently yelled out comments like 'Tell it, Barack!' and 'You got that right!', while the rest of the audience gave him multiple standing ovations."

After his speech, Obama opened the floor to questions. Ingersoll explained, "He opened the floor to questions at the end of his speech and attendees were able to ask questions; I thought that was awesome. He openly responded to questions regarding Cuban relations, school safety, and the rebuilding of New Orleans."

Many supporters favor Obama because of his differences from traditional politics. Browne explained, "I also believe that the corruption and incompetence that has become apparent in the current administration will inspire Americans to support Obama. He has made his independence, and lack of corporate obligations a central element of his campaign, and will craft his policies and decisions based on the welfare of the American people rather than the lobbyists in Washington." Ingersoll stated, "It became clear to me that Barack Obama is aiming to create a new kind of politics. A world of politics where voters are recognized by Washington as people who lose jobs, struggle to provide health care for their families, and want to go to college but can't afford it. As long as I can remember, the middle and lower class Americans have blindly fed the great American economic machine. Now that the machine is stalling, America is looking for change. [Presidential candidate] Barack Obama embodies that hope for change."

Many of the attendees had a positive experience. Browne stated, "All in all, the event was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I continue to be an avid Obama supporter." Merry Miller, the department secretary for the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, stated, "I'm definitely a Hillary supporter, but with Obama coming to town I decided I would go into it with an open mind. I would hear what he had to say, his policies, what he would do for America. He's a very good speaker. He's motivational, but he did not convince me otherwise."