Queues have been forming in upstate New York for tickets to the President Obama’s public events starting this Thursday.
Out front of Alumni Arena on University at Buffalo’s campus, some people have been waiting in line since 1:30 Tuesday morning for tickets that’ll be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5 pm this afternoon.
Liz Barnes and her daughter Joy Christopher say they’re excited to be part of this momentous event in western New York history.
“I think what he’s done as our president representing a minority population has been awesome. I am so grateful to be a part of the history that voted for him and show my little girl that anybody can be president and I’m glad that it happened in my lifetime. He’s a big deal to me and my mom and he’s very important.”
Mark Cunningham has been waiting in line since 8 am hoping to hear the President’s address on education.
“A very expensive university education is not necessarily realistic to very many people. You need educated people and community colleges are something that he very much fosters. I think that, that is a great idea you’re not so far in debt and you have a high probability of having practical job training.”
President Obama is scheduled to speak at UB at 11:15 Thursday morning before heading to Syracuse.
Syracuse
Lines were forming from 7 o’clock Monday evening at the city’s Henninger High School where President Obama will speak. They camped out in front of a sign taped up reading “President Obama tickets line starts here.”
Umbrellas and other makeshift sources of shade replaced blankets and pillows as the sun began to beat down. By 10 a.m. Tuesday that lined snaked along the parking lot and off school grounds.
"I think it’s kind of exciting to have these guys out here showing some enthusiasm."
Bob Buchanan is a retired city worker. His daughter got in line for him at 11pm Monday night. He showed up early Tuesday morning after finishing dialysis.
Buchanan talked about what he would say in the unlikely chance he got to meet Mr. Obama. He’d tell the president to get more young people to work.
"You got a lot of kids out here that need jobs that don’t have any kind of direction. This would be a great way to give them something to do, a way to make money for them."
Buchanan suggests infrastructure projects as a source of jobs.
Wristbands were distributed shortly before noon to those who had showed up early enough to get a coveted ticket.
Similar scenes are likely in Binghamton where the President is scheduled to hold a Town hall-style meeting on the UBinghamton Vestal campus on Friday at around 12.45pm.