After standing in the 30-degree weather for four hours amongst 10,000 of my closest friends and being lectured by an Obama media coordinator that college media didn’t matter—only big names like CNN did—the Obama rally was quite possibly one of the most ridiculous days of my life; but, nevertheless, one of the most unforgettable.

More than 10,000 people (JMU students, Harrisonburg and Virginia residents, students from other colleges) lined up outside the Convocation Center to see Obama speak.

Actually, it wasn’t just Obama. Soon-to-be-Senator Mark Warner and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine spoke, too. If you’re not from Virginia, you probably aren’t aware but Warner is like Virginia’s Obama. He’s beloved by most and you can’t go more than a few miles without sighting a Mark Warner bumper sticker.

And I don’t blame them. I met the guy last year when he came to speak at JMU and not only is he hilarious, but he’s also got some great ideas about the economy and the environment.

Anywho, after Kaine and Warner’s short speeches (they knew we didn’t come here to see them) Obama came down the steps like a celebrity at the Academy Awards. Never have I seen a crowd get so excited since my first NSYNC concert in fifth grade.

I do have to mention the fact that people waited for more than seven hours to see Obama and weren’t able to get in (that sucks, maybe they should be better at cutting in line like everyone else). Lucky them, though, before speaking to the thousands of people inside, Obama spoke and did a little meet n’ great for everyone that got rejected. Actually, those people are lucky because in a way they got a private session whereas everyone else got an impersonal rally!

I’ve never been to a presidential candidate’s rally before (nor have I ever been able to vote before) and both are an unforgettable experience. It’s a shame to those that didn’t get to see him—whether they had class, were in the wrong line, or just didn’t care—because I’ll never forget it (especially if he's the first black president of the United States).