It was a cloudy, dark, and unseasonably cold for the beginning of May here in South Bend, Indiana. But there were still more than 5000 people lined up in front of the Century Center, winding down the streets, and even across the Saint Joseph river to get into the Bernie Sanders rally. With the Indiana primaries fast approaching on Tuesday, May 3rd, every vote counts and it shows. Rarely do political candidates come to Indiana for the primaries, but this year counts with every major presidential candidate coming to the South Bend area.
The masses were allowed in at 4 PM, crowding the center, chattering and raising signs in anticipation. Hours later, it was hot and arguably miserable inside, but spirits were still high as crowds waited for Senator Sanders to speak.
“[Senator Sanders doesn’t] exude an aura of celebrity,” said Allison Schoenfeld, a Penn senior who met personally with Sanders at the rally before Sanders’ speech. “He doesn’t have an entourage. He’s just really down to earth.”
After a few introductory speeches and press interviews, roaring crowds welcomed Sanders around 7:30 PM. Every eye in the room was glued to him, people shouting their approval as he spoke, but quieting at the slightest motion of his hand.
“If we can bail out Wall Street, we can help people with college debts.” Sanders said. One of the main focuses this election is the state of the American economy and our multi-trillion dollar debt, and Sanders took the opportunity during his rally to discuss his plans to fix the economy and aid the average American via a tax on Wall Street.
Sanders focused not just on the economy, but also on the inequality between classes, races, and genders in America.
Many candidates wouldn’t dare enter the throngs at their rallies, but when his speech was done, Senator Sanders walked into the crowd to shake hands and share small talk with his supporters. At the end of the night, nearly 2000 people left content with what they heard, and ready for the Indiana primary on Tuesday. “I will definitely be voting on Tuesday,” said Joshua Leady, a Penn High School senior at the rally.
Walter Samples