long line expected at Convo
posted by Brent FinneganThere were rumors that students would be camping out in the Convocation Center parking lot and sidewalk last night, in anticipation of long lines today, but Alex Sirney and Nicole Martorana scoped it out and this is what they found:
posted: October 28th, 2008 by Brent Finnegan
filed under events, news & meta-news.
Comments: 23
Comments
Comment from Josh
Time: October 28, 2008, 8:17 am
Hah, I drove by last night around midnight and observed the same thing. Lots of cops though!
Comment from Emmy
Time: October 28, 2008, 9:01 am
I think those of us going should try to send in a Twitter when we get there with the time and an estimate of the line length. It might save some people from trying to get to the Convo if there’s no hope and it will be interesting to see how fast the line grows.
Comment from Bubby
Time: October 28, 2008, 9:51 am
This kind of reporting is why hburgness is important to the community.
Comment from Chad
Time: October 28, 2008, 10:04 am
I just heard from a friend that there are about 1000 people at the convo this morning. It’s about 10:10 AM right now.
Comment from Emmy
Time: October 28, 2008, 10:09 am
My co-worker just came in and said the line is already visible from the interstate. If anyone goes over that way report back because it sounds as though it may already be a futile wait.
Comment from Chris
Time: October 28, 2008, 10:22 am
Something that I would like to add is dress warm as no wait is useless. Overflow goes to the soccer field where audio will be streamed AND Barack Obama will be out there so you will get to see him there as well.
Comment from Justin C
Time: October 28, 2008, 10:26 am
Thanks Alex and Nicole!
I agree with Emmy, I would love to see some kind of way to get updates and know if it’s worth my time to leave my office in downtown to get on campus.
Comment from Josh
Time: October 28, 2008, 11:23 am
Word on the street is the line is already over by the entrance of UREC: http://www.jmu.edu/map/ridge.shtml (far side of convo to far side of UREC). That must be a few thousand people.
Comment from Josh
Time: October 28, 2008, 11:24 am
I’ve been corrected: there are two lines.
Comment from Emmy
Time: October 28, 2008, 11:47 am
Thanks for the updates. Guess I’ll be watching it online.
Comment from Dr. Jason Salmon
Time: October 28, 2008, 11:48 am
Sounds like everyone better hit the door and get rolling to the Convo Center. If my guesstimations are correct, I expect 20,000.
Comment from alex
Time: October 28, 2008, 11:54 am
Thanks all, we have another update on the way. There’s probably 2000(?) and possibly more people in line now. Good luck in getting in, we’re going to try and get our camera in and tape as much of the speech as possible.
Comment from Keach
Time: October 28, 2008, 11:55 am
Thanks to everyone for the up-to-date news on the developing lines.
Wondering if anyone can back up what Chris reports about Obama making an appearance at the soccer field, too. The JMU news release just says this:
“For those unable to access the Convocation Center, alternate viewing locations of Sen. Obama’s visit are available in the Godwin Gym and the Ballroom at the Festival Conference and Student Center. An additional alternate location will be outside the Convocation Center on the University Recreation Center (UREC) soccer fields. ”
I’m taking that to mean that live video and/or audio will be at those locations.
Thanks, again, for the on-the-spot reporting.
Comment from hlestyan
Time: October 28, 2008, 11:58 am
Does anyone know if this will be streaming online, or on any of the local radio stations?
Comment from Emmy
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:01 pm
From what I understand it will be shown live on TV3, broadcast on WSVA live, and shown here
Comment from Dr. Jason Salmon
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:14 pm
Of course people are cutting in line. Everyone had their friends who got laid off standing in the line for them, and around 4:30 they’ll swoop in as if they’d been there all day.
Hopefully when I leave the hospital tonight at 6, I won’t have much traffic to fight.
Comment from Chris
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:14 pm
Yesterday at the volunteer training session they announced Obama USUALLY goes out to the alternate locations, if just for a few moments. They could not guarantee it, but he said it was likely.
Comment from Bubby
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:17 pm
For those unable to access the Convocation Center, alternate viewing locations of Sen. Obama’s visit are available in the Godwin Gym and the Ballroom at the Festival Conference and Student Center. An additional alternate location will be outside the Convocation Center on the University Recreation Center (UREC) soccer fields.
Comment from Chris
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:19 pm
Let me also note that the guy in charge of setting up this event, Alex, said that Sen. Obama will ONLY be visiting the soccer field as he does not have enough time to visit each alternate location.
Comment from Bubby
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:20 pm
If you see someone “cutting in line” they may be one of the many, many, many, many, people who have been working on the Campaign for Change and were compted with a VIP pass to jump the line. Cut them some slack, they’ve been busy winning your election.
Comment from Keach
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:21 pm
Chris–thanks for the extra info!
Comment from Chris
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:21 pm
I also believe they gave them out to some undecided voters. There weren’t many that were given out, though.
Comment from Emmy
Time: October 28, 2008, 12:33 pm
You know, I’d rather see an undecided voter get in than go see it myself!
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