The Democratic Party’s biggest names gathered in Charlotte, N.C., to support President Barack Obama’s bid for a second term, but some of his hardest-working student supporters watched crowded around a projector screen at UF.
Wearing Obama T-shirts and stickers, students met in the Reitz Union Matthews Suite from 7:30 p.m. to nearly midnight to watch speeches from Vice President Joe Biden and Obama.
“We’ve had a great response,” said UF College Democrats President William Farrell, 20.
About 80 people attended the watch party throughout the evening.
The room was especially packed during Obama’s nomination acceptance speech.
“It’s a good reminder of why all of us are out there working and donating our free time to make sure the president is re-elected,” Farrell said.
The environmental science junior said he thinks many students are thankful for Obama’s policies and would like to give him another term.
“2008 was an incredibly special year,” he said, adding that this year’s election is just as important. “We’re going to work really hard to make sure the turnout is as high as possible.”
The Gators for Obama committee has been working every weekday to register students, said co-chair Rachel McGovern, a 20-year-old political science junior.
The organization is focusing on voter registration until the Oct. 9 deadline.
“People know we’re there,” McGovern said. “We have people coming up to the tables.”
Thursday night, Biden spoke at 9:30 p.m., drawing applause from the students as he talked about the bailout of General Motors and the death of Osama bin Laden.
Obama accepted the nomination at about 10:30 p.m. after being introduced by first lady Michelle Obama.
His speech covered topics like college education, job creation and clean energy.
He also covered the controversial issue of women’s reproductive rights, and promised that the war in Afghanistan will be over in 2014.
He drew laughs throughout, sometimes cracking jokes about Republican policies.
“It was breathtaking,” said elementary education sophomore Micaela Jones, 19. She cried during the speech.
While watching Obama speak, students at the watch party filled all the seats in the room, and some even had to sit on the floor.
But they didn’t mind — hyped up on the energy around them and on screen, they clapped, cheered and chanted.
“It’s so empowering to see people that have so many similar beliefs — I can’t even describe it. It fills me with so much passion,” Jones said.
Political science sophomore Christine Csencsitz, 19, said Obama came across as genuine and relatable.
“I think because it was so tailored to this campaign, it really struck a chord with a lot of people,” she said.
Students watch President Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential nomination acceptance speech on a projector screen in the Matthews Suite on the fourth floor of the Reitz Union on Thursday night.
