It was a heady moment for Neil McClaine — just two weeks into his freshman year, he was about to hear former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speak at his university.
McClaine happened to overhear that Clinton was making a live appearance while he was eating lunch in the Sandburg Hall cafeteria and rushed to join more than 1,000 others in line. “I’m pretty excited to take part in the democratic process,” said McClaine, who will vote in his first presidential election next year.
Clinton is just the latest presidential candidate to visit UWM, giving young voters here an up-close look at the political process. In the past 15 years, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, former President George W. Bush and Vice President Joe Biden have made public appearances here as candidates. In early 2004, during an election in which Wisconsin was a sought-after “swing” state, six presidential hopefuls stopped at UWM – John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards, Howard Dean (twice) and Gen. Wesley Clark.
The crowd was already primed Thursday when Clinton stepped onto the stage in the UWM Student Union. UWM’s Joan Prince kicked off the opening remarks, greeting the crowd with “welcome to the University of Wisconsin…” They finished her sentencing, screaming “Mil-wau-kee.”
“We are the most diverse campus in Wisconsin and that is a reflection of our diverse community. We have a long tradition of hosting robust, civil dialogue about the topics of our time,” said Prince, vice chancellor for Global Inclusion and Engagement.
In 2012, President Barack Obama named Prince to a key administrative post in the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations. She served under Clinton, who was then secretary of state.
Raphael Escobido, 25, an education administration major, moved to Milwaukee just last month from Florida. He was working at the Student Success center Thursday morning when he learned Clinton had chosen UWM as the site for her first stop in Wisconsin during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“No matter what your political affiliation, just checking it out and seeing what the candidates stand for, it’s super important,” Escobido said. “It’s your civic duty.”
That was sentiment shared by Mina Dewalt, a junior from Milwaukee, who voted in the 2012 presidential election and was excited to see a major candidate at UWM this year.
“I think it’s a good way to get everyone educated about what’s going on,” Dewalt said. “It’s really special to see it. It’s different when you’re watching it on TV and watching all the debates.”
Clinton also served as a U.S. senator from New York and as first lady when her husband, Bill Clinton, was president. This is her second bid for the White House.
Her visit to Milwaukee was arranged by the campaign-backed organization “Women for Hillary.”
Communications major Breana Farrell, 21, said she was proud the group chose UWM. “What it says about us as a school is that we’re involved, not only with the surrounding community, but nationwide.”
