The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

Students start to show Obama support

By Michaela Stanelun

A group of about 20 Northeastern students gathered Saturday with one goal in common – to show their support for Sen. Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

The first meeting of Northeastern University Students for Barack Obama took place in the Curry Student Center, where the group watched live feed of Obama (D-Ill.) who was speaking in a library in Iowa.

“Barack Obama represents hope, and I think now, more than ever, we need hope in our government to lead us in the right direction,” said Dan Musumeci, a sophomore entrepreneurship major. “I came out today to support Obama and to meet fellow students who are also supporting him, and help spread the word about his campaign. I think that anytime you get a bunch of students together for a similar goal you have a success.”

Josh Robin, a sophomore political science major and president of the Northeastern College Democrats, created the group NU for Obama after choosing to support Obama in the next election over the other leading Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.

“Hillary is my senator back home in New York, however Barack is someone who is different, and he is someone that anyone can believe in,” Robin said. “He is the future, and people are going to vote for their future, especially a student.”

NU for Obama is the local branch of the national organization Students for Barack Obama, which consists of 60,000 students around the country at 160 colleges.

“This group helps gather students together,” Robin said. “We want Obama to hear what we have to say, and what is important to us as young people, and we want our voices heard.”

Burke Campbell, the communications director of the organization, stressed the importance of meeting other Obama supporters.

“Grassroots organizations are key,” Campbell, a sophomore communications major, said. “We are a group of people who all support Obama. We can all sit and talk to each other and discuss the issues that are important to us.”

Sophomore international affairs and journalism major, Caitlyn Coyle said she was hooked on Obama after hearing him speak at the Democratic Convention in 2004.

“I was thrilled about all he had to say at the convention, and how he truly believed in what he was saying,” Coylesaid. “He’s had a taste of a lot of different parts of life, and he knows what it’s like to network with the big guys in Washington, but also knows how to connect with the voters. Obama really enforces positive and progressive change and is a fresh face in politics in a time when we’re in desperate need for someone like him.”

Students interested in joining NU for Obama can attend weekly meetings will be held starting in the fall, and can visit northeasterndemocrats.com/obama.

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