After waiting in line for thirty minutes to see Dr. Ben Carson speak, I started to wonder if it had been worth leaving class. I volunteered to cover the event because hearing a presidential candidate speak in person was a new experience for me. I have only ever seen these candidates debate on television. According to AL.com, almost 300 students were lined up from the Taylor Center to Goodwyn Hall. As it turned out, I wasn’t the only person who was
experiencing this occasion for the first time. I asked my friend Danielle Parducci, a nursing student, if she had ever heard a candidate speak before. “No, not in person,” said Parducci, who seemed very excited about the event.
I knew that Carson was going to talk about his campaign and his values, but I wouldn’t consider myself excited as much as inquisitive of what Carson was going to say to a crowd of college students. When Carson came to AUM, he was a candidate in the current GOP race to the Presidency. Hammock, a junior studying finance, said that he was excited “just to hear him speak. I’ve liked him from the beginning.” Hammock seemed just as enthusiastic as Parducci. My thoughts have always been near the middle of the political opinion spectrum, so I went in feeling rather non-committal.
Apparently, I was not the only one who had a few questions for Carson. “What qualifications does he have to fill one of the most powerful positions?” asked Jonea Wellman, a first-year student in Nursing. Of course, Carson is an educated man and a brilliant neurosurgeon, which means he was more than qualified intellectually for the presidential election, but what was that enough reason to elect him to the Presidency?
Once the line started moving, some of AUM staff members began telling us that we could not have backpacks or food. When I finally reached the door, I had to show that I was indeed Sara “Nikki” Headley of AUM. Then I was required to go through a metal detector while they searched my purse. I sat in the back because it was the only option left, so the view wasn’t great. I was also in very close proximity to people that I didn’t know. While my claustrophobia was setting in, everyone else seemed to be bubbling with excitement. In our seats was the children’s version of Carson’s book Gifted Hands, and I wondered why the standard edition wasn’t offered. After sitting for an hour, we stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Then I thought we would finally get to see this politician. I was wrong.
After the event moderator was introduced by AUM staff he did not show. So they told us to wait and turned on some music. As much as I love pop music from 2008, I was becoming impatient. After about a ten-minute lull, the moderator finally came in and announced Carson’s entry. We all got out of our seats and clapped, welcoming his arrival. Previously submitted student questions were displayed on a television screen. Discussions included police brutality, racism and gun violence, until the conversation shifted to why voters should select Carson. His answer: “Because I’m one of you.”
Then we moved to some questions that were asked live by my fellow students. These questions ranged from the VA system to healthcare. Then a woman asked a question that really shook me. She wanted to know what one message Carson could leave us with. Carson responded gently, with no trace of hesitation, “We are extraordinarily fortunate to live in a great nation, the most exceptional nation that the world has ever known. Some people say every nation is exceptional. But before our nation came on the scene, people did the same thing, the same way, for thousands of years. Within two hundred years of the advent of America, men were walking on the moon, and changed the trajectory of mankind.”
Carson, who claimed not to be a politician, is a soft-spoken man with seemingly good intentions. He appeared to have a true interest in the youth at AUM. He closed the panel with encouraging words about being a youth in America. “Don’t back off because you are young,” Carson said. Despite his political expediency of his appearance at AUM, this comment resonated with me. Many times college students feel that they cannot do something due to their age or lack of experience, but when someone who is running for President of the United States denies this fear to a group of young people, it is truly encouraging. After the event, he stayed behind so we could take pictures and get our children books signed. Overall, it was a refreshing experience and overwhelmingly positive for students seeking motivation for the future. Shortly after his visit at AUM, Carson dropped out of the race on Super Tuesday.
By Nikki Headley
Photo courtesy of Dasa Rosca