Media Credit: Mackenzie Reiss"The Syracuse University quad turned into a loud rally Thursday afternoon to garner support for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill)."Obama's SU supporters rallied outside Hendricks Chapel to get their candidate's name out to college students, especially since Super Tuesday is right around the corner. Twenty-four states, including New York, will be casting their ballots for the nominees for each party, according to CBS News."The rally, which was organized by the SU Students for Obama, was intended to enhance Obama's visibility and get the word out about the upcoming primary on Tuesday, said Marshall Spevak, a sophomore political science major and SU's campus coordinator for Students for Barack Obama."During the rally, Obama supporters spoke to SU students, passed out stickers and fliers and informed people about the upcoming primary and Obama's candidacy." 'People don't know that Sen. Obama's campaign has a presence here in Syracuse and Central New York, so we are getting out the vote and trying to show people that we are here, and that Sen. Obama's case is for real,' Spevak said."The supporters and volunteers spent an hour yelling campaign calls such as 'SU for Obama,' 'Obama, 08, be a part of something great' and 'Obama, 08, he's ready, why wait?'"Marc Peters, a senior newspaper journalism and policy studies major and national student blog director for Students for Barack Obama, said it's essential for Obama that students vote." 'It is important to show that Obama has support here, especially on a college campus. The Daily Orange (Editorial Board) endorsed him yesterday, so it's obvious that his strength is here among most young voters," Peters said. "It's important to show that students are interested and not just bystanders in democracy, and that we really have a stake in what's going on in this incredibly vital election.'"As many as 40 volunteers took part at the peak of the rally. Students could sign up to volunteer for Obama, which is what brought Talitha Baxter, an undecided junior in the College of Arts and Science, to the rally." 'I read his first book which inspired me to support him,' she said. 'I hope that we'll see a change on Super Tuesday. I think college students are ready for change, which Obama is best for.'
by Darren Benda 2/1/08
