Tufts turned out in full force for 2008 presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as he spoke at Boston University Friday night.
Although BU hosted the event, Tufts Democrats member and senior Dan Grant said the event was "100 percent a joint effort" both between 11 area colleges as well as higher-profile donors. "It was a good way to bring everyone together," he said.
Grant and TCU President Mitch Robinson served on the student planning committee for the event. "The big thing was to sell tickets," as a fundraiser for the campaign, Grant said. "It was really successful; by the end there was really a buzz on campus."
Tufts Democrats sold 280 tickets for $10, Grant said, raising $2800 for the Obama campaign.
And reception was positive, he said. "Everyone I spoke to - about a dozen - said they really liked it," Grant said. "Some people said their life was changed by it, and they saw how important this election is."
The speech was "kind of like a call to action and a call to service," Grant said. "The way he said the wants to change politics and change the country, people really respect it."
The Beelzebubs, Tufts' all-male a capella group, also sang "America the Beautiful" before the speech.
- by Kat Schmidt
CORRECTION: In yesterday's News article, "Tufts has high student turnout at BU's Barack Obama rally," the Daily incorrectly reported that tickets to see Barack Obama cost $10 and that the Tufts Democrats raised $2,800 for the event. Tickets actually cost $23 and the amount raised was $6,000. The Daily apologizes for the error.
