An opinionated crowd

If you listened to the buzz around the University of Iowa Field House today, you might not know whether a reincarnation of Adolph Hitler was eminent or whether the George Washington of black people would soon emerge. One woman called Obama a tyrant, while a man referred to him as the best thing for our country and anyone else would be joke. That was the range of opinions that circulated among the crowd waiting for a visit from President Barack Obama Wednesday afternoon. A group of University of Iowa students arrived at 1 a.m. to be the first in line when the doors opened at 10. In the interim, the line grew and snaked around two corners of the Field House. A group of 15 minority students said they waited for nine hours out of excitement to see the first black president in person. Many of them said they fell asleep once they finally made it to the bleachers. Obama excitement ran as high as Hawkeye fever. As soon as University staff started directing students through the gates, heads turned, conversation stirred and the excitement reached a new level. Spectators unleashed their college creativity in various ways to kill time. At one point, someone ignited an O-o-o Obama chant, which lasted a full 15 seconds before someone yelled Shut up, which in turn sparked laughter. And then there was the old standby the Wave. Peoples reasons for enduring the long wait varied as much as the means they used to pass the time. How many other chances am I going to get where I can see the president of the United States so close? Especially the first black president, said Antoine Robinson, a sophomore biology and health promotion student at The University of Iowa. Despite the overwhelming support for the president shown by thousands of spectators, not everyone welcomed Obama so warmly. By 10 a.m. about a dozen demonstrators had set up camp across the road from the field house. By 11:30 the number of demonstrators had more than doubled. Some held signs that said, Get goin back to Chicago, Nobama and Stop Obamunism. Nearby another student said Go Obama. That set Rose Kindle off. Oh yeah! Youll be sorry, she countered. Kindle said shes tired of old folks being treated poorly. Several demonstrators argued that Obamas stop in Iowa was purely a campaign strategy. I dont believe for one minute that he cares about the young people, said Linda Gerdener, who described herself as a baby boomer and an Iowa graduate.

Robinson had a different take. I think in some ways everything a politician does is going towards a campaign effort, but I also feel like Obama really genuinely cares about the youthful generation, he said. Another demonstrator Paul Marconi, a junior accounting student at Iowa, said hes fed up with student loans and doesnt think Obamas strategy to lower interest rates is enough. Marconi, of Illinois, will rack up about $90,000 in loans by the time he graduates Iowa. Id just like to see the government step out of it, he said. Some of the protestors said Obama is not the answer to the student loan issues in America. Gerdener said the real problem is that students arent even bothering to pay off their loans before graduation to avoid interest. She also said that students dont appreciate their education because they arent paying for it anyway. Despite her insult to the president and the demonstrators presence, the majority of people seemed to be pleased with Obamas presentation as thousands of spectators crammed themselves into the tight confinement of the Field House walls. Yu Ling Weng, a sophomore student at Iowa, also arrived early to ensure a good spot in the crowd. She wanted to learn more about what the president had to say about loans and college education because of her own financial situation. Right now my dad is supporting me, but we recently came across some family problems, and Im concerned if I have to take out loans for the remainder of my college life. Weng has two years left of college to pay for. Obama connected on a more personal level with many of the students like Weng. He spoke about his own student loan debt that he worked hard to pay off and how he and his wife became poor together. Robinson said he appreciated Obamas personal experience with debt. Him personalizing it just helps take him off that pedestal. It helps you understand that this is a man thats going through a lot of the same things as us, said Robinson. Mikkia Graves, a sophomore civil engineering student at Iowa, added, A lot of the things he was saying was like things that Ive heard coming from my parents. Were all in the same place. We just have to work hard to get what we deserve.