Weren’t able to make it to see First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama speak at the Fitzgerald Field House on Wednesday, September 28th? No worries, HC Pitt has you covered! Read on for a recap of the event.
Pitt Loves FLOTUS and FLOTUS Loves Pitt
Although the event didn’t kick off until 3:30 pm, the line was long and excitement levels were high as students and community members gathered hours before the event for a chance to see Michelle Obama speak. In total, more than 3,800 people turned up at the Fitzgerald Field House on Wednesday to hear Michelle Obama deliver a powerful message in support of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine. If you don’t belive us, the picture below shows just how many people waited in line for this event.
Relaxed, relatable, and energized, Michelle opened her speech with a smile- and a proclamation of her love for Pittsburgh. (Side note- Who can blame her? It’s a pretty awesome place!). Michelle then touched on the topic of change and the challenge that comes with any kind of transition.
Change Is Hard, Even for The First Family of the United States
“While this time is a time of great transition for my family, I know it’s a great transition for the entire country,” says Michelle. “Transitions like this can be difficult…because it involves a lot of uncertainty.” Michelle proceeded to remind the crowd that people were pretty skeptical of President Barack Obama when he took office.
“I think he’s been a great [president],” says Michelle. She then went on to list several of her husband’s accomplishments including pulling the economy out of its depressed state, creating millions of jobs for Americans, and making major strides for the LGBT community. Her message sounded out loud and clear: change can be scary, but good things can come from uncertainty.
Surprise – Being POTUS Is a Challenging Job!
“First and foremost, this job is hard,” Michelle told the crowd. “The easy questions never make it to the president,” leaving the tough decisions to the person in the oval office. Michelle mentions that the President of the United States should be patient, measured, and compassionate. On the tough days, the President must remember why he (or she) wanted the job in the first place. The job of the President is to serve with the best interests of all people in mind, not to serve with the interests of one in mind.
Michelle continued to illustrate what a President should look like, mentioning attributes such as being more knowledgeable on issues than anyone and having superb judgement. At the most basic level, Michelle delivered this powerful statement: “We need a grown-up in the White House.” After a bit more build up, Michelle states that “there is only one person in this election for this job and that’s Hillary Clinton.”
It’s in Our Hands Now
Michelle took some time to stress the importance of voting and the impact that just one vote can have. She mentions that President Barack Obama won the state of Pennsylvania by only about 300,000 votes, which comes out to be just 17 votes per precinct. That makes a difference. “Each of you can swing an entire precinct and win this election for Hillary just by getting yourselves, your families and your classmates out to vote.” “If you’re like me and you choose Hillary, then we’ve got to get to work.” Michelle encourages her audience to advocate for what they believe in by getting registered to vote, by getting others registered to vote, and by getting people out to vote on election day.
He Who Shall Not Be Named
Perhaps the most powerful part of Michelle’s speech is what she didn’t say. Not once during her address did she ever mention Donald Trump by name choosing instead to refer to him simply as “the other candidate” or “[Hillary’s] opponent.” Sophie DiCarlo, a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, deemed this tactic “a serious but tasteful power play.” By omitting Trump’s name, Michelle was able to keep the focus on Hillary Clinton and her qualifications in an effort to, as Michelle mentioned earlier in her speech, “go high when they go low.”
All in all, it was a pretty exciting afternoon here at the University of Pittsburgh. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which candidate you support or who you plan to cast your vote for. What is important is that you exercise your right to vote and make your voice heard in this election. As Michelle said, “this is the country that you will inherit,” so we here at Her Campus encourage you to do your best to make a difference in this election.
Michelle Obama, out. *mic drop*
Photo Credit: 1 taken by Sophie DiCarlo, 2
Sources: 1, with contributons by HC Pitt member Sophie DiCarlo