Disclaimer: The view in this article do not reflect the views of HC Albany or Her Campus Media.
Monday, April 11th presidential candidate Bernie Sanders held a rally downtown Albany at the Washington Avenue Armory. The doors were set to open at 11:00am and to get a good seat I figured arriving well before then was the best way to go. Of course, my fellow students and the rest of the Albany area had the same idea and I ended up not only running into early morning traffic but thousands of supporters lined up cheering and chatting amongst themselves in an effort to do away with the large amount of time we all had left to wait.
Private vendors had their tents set up selling t-shirts, buttons and hats with quotes saying “Feel the Bern” or “Burn One for Bernie”. Political enthusiast lined up giving their hard earned dollars to support who they hoped would be our next president. I found my place on line and joined in on random discussions about foreign policies, health care and police militarization, all topics Bernie would later address. As peaceful as it was, I was waiting for an anti-Bernie local to drive by and yell profanity waving a “Trump for President” poster. By around 12:30pm the line began moving and as I made my way closer and closer to the front doors I realized that I am officially apart of history.
This will be my first time voting for a president and I have taken so much pride in being able to make the right decision and part of that process is attending rally’s like this one. While in my thoughts I bumped into a man also by the name of Mr. Sanders. No, it was not Bernie but it was Senator James Sanders walking amongst rally goers to spread positivity and enthusiasm. He greeted me with handshake and a peck on the cheek.
Once inside I rushed to find the best seat I could and I waited patiently for the man of the hour to finally make his appearance. 1:30 rolled around and I grew anxious, impatient almost because I was ready to see him in the flesh! The man everyone talks so highly of. He seems so optimistic and full of life (despite his old age) on television so I wanted to see if the energy was real, if I could feel what he feels. 4,000 people filled the armory and began cheering “BERNIE, BERNIE BERNIE”. A short man in a well –tailored suite came walking, almost gliding onto the podium. He stood with confidence, waving and smiling waiting for the appraisals and applause to silence. I knew then, the energy was REAL.