Voices from the Line Outside Ritchie

Yohannes Aemro of College Park
(Photo by Allison Wedwaldt)

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A few hundred people lined up early this morning outside Ritchie Coliseum at the University of Maryland to get a shot at a good seat for President Obama's town hall. Enduring the heat wave, the earliest arrived at 5:10 a.m. -- more than three-and-a-half hours earlier than the scheduled door opening at 8:45 a.m. - to ensure that the general admission ticket they had stood in line for earlier in the week would get them close to the president.

Many at the front of the line said they wondered what the president would say about the debt ceiling and the national deficit.

“I am very curious about what he has to say. He always inspires people and always goes all the way for the middle class and students," said Yohannes Aemro, 21, of College Park, Md., a facility maintenance staff member at the University of Maryland and the first to arrive. "I want to support him. … I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be good.” 

Many of those gathered at the front of the line said they were strong supporters of Obama and largely supported the Democratic Party’s agenda. 

Dylan Goldberg, 20, of Columbia, Md., a government and politics major at the University of Maryland,  was one of those who said he supports the Democratic Party. After arriving at Stamp Student Union at 8 p.m. on Wednesday to camp out for tickets, he arrived at Ritchie Coliseum at 5:30 a.m. this morning to get a good seat for the talk.

Goldberg,  a board member of the Howard County Community Action Council, said he is concerned about what welfare programs would be at risk if the U.S. government were to default on its debt and how communities would deal with a blow to funding. “Being a part of the Community Action Council, I want to bring back [Obama’s] ideas to the community, give advice and give a plan to the people who need help,” he said.

Emily Englin of Silver Spring
(Photo by Allison Wedwaldt)

University of Maryland student Michael Sikorski, 18, of Ellicott City, Md., said he is also very interested in politics and wanted to see Obama. Sikorski, who was president of the Young Democrats Club at his high school, said he attempted to camp out overnight for Friday's 11 a.m. event, but was told by police that he was not permitted to do so. Instead he arrived at 7 a.m. and was one of the first 20 people in line.

The mood outside was noticeably enthusiastic and partisan. Said Emily Englin, 16, of Silver Spring, Md., at the end of an interview: “Obama 2012!”

--By Allison Wedwaldt and Matt Smith