Enthusiastic volunteers and supporters celebrated the official opening of the Tallahassee Barack Obama college headquarters Monday.
In the spirit of the joyous mood of the gathering, some supporters even joked their grassroots efforts reflected those of the candidate they have come to support.
“Of course Barack Obama was a community organizer starting out, so you might find the next President of the United States here tonight,” said Kyle Cate, regional communications director for Obama For America.
Many students volunteered at the headquarters sensing they were participating in a historic election.
“You hear people say they were there when Martin Luther King marched on Washington, or you hear when people say they were there when John F. Kennedy was elected. I want to be able to say I was there when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States,” said Diane Fanor, 21, a junior health science student from Miami. Fanor said participating in the election process is the best way for an individual to protect their own interests.
“I vote to practice my political power,” Fanor said. “I feel like voting is the best way to invest in my future.” The majority of work the volunteers have been doing is registering voters.
“I come in and make calls and confirm that people are helping with voter registration,” said Tera Waldo, a senior sociology major from Eustis. “I have been on campus and my apartment complex helping people get registered.”
Monique Gillum, college field organizer for the Tallahassee headquarters of Obama for Change, thanked the small but enthusiastic group of students that attended the opening and let them know that much still needs to be done.
“We’re basically down to 22 days. What we’re going to try to do over the next few days is educate voters,” Gillum said. “We want to smash all the rumors and make sure we’re educating people about Obama.”
Gillum said that the headquarters will go above and beyond to spread the word about their candidate throughout Tallahassee.
“Outside of voter registration we’re going to get on some phones and call some people,” Gillum said. We’re going to do whatever we need to do to get Barack Obama elected because he is such a great candidate.”
The Obama for Change Tallahassee headquarters also plans to provide transportation to the polls with their “Yes We Can” initiative.
“Yes We Can” will take place at the FSU student union and the FAMU set,” Gillum said. “We’ll put students on vans and take them to the polls.”
The Tallahassee Campaign for Change field office is located at 324 West College Ave. For additional information regarding the Tallahassee Campaign for Change field office call 850-212-1746.