LEWISBURG — They didn’t get Barack Obama, but they got Spock.
Hundreds of Bucknell University students, many of them wearing St. Patrick’s Day green, and other members of the community packed the Trout Auditorium Monday night eager to learn more about the presidential candidate who’s drummed up more support from young voters than any other candidate in this election.
Actors Zachary Quinto, who plays the main villain on NBC’s “Heroes” and Captain Spock in the upcoming “Star Trek” film, and Dulé Hill, star of USA’s “Psych,” appeared before a crowd of more than 400 people as representatives of the Obama campaign.
It was their fourth stop of the day in Pennsylvania, according to Quinto, who said they had appeared before mostly younger crowds.
“This is the most historic and arguably most exciting election in history,” he said, calling Obama “the man who I truly believe is ... the last true hope for a very wounded, very divided country.”
Hill was equally exuberant when he told the crowd, “I’m here as an American who has been inspired ... It is (Obama’s) passion for the people, his empathy, that his decisions are driven by his desire to help people and see communities change.”
Quinto and Hill fielded several questions from the crowd — a few of which stumped them — but were there mainly to encourage support for Obama and voting in general.
“I feel like I’m in a really fortunate position because people will listen to me,” Quinto said as a crowd of admirers gathered around him following the event. “I can’t shirk the responsibility that comes with that. It’s not about my celebrity. It’s about meeting people and engaging them.”
Hill also acknowledged his star status wasn’t going to sway people, but jokingly said, “If anyone in this room wants to do anything I say just because I say to do so, I say vote for Barack Obama.”
The actors found a mostly sympathetic crowd at the event, but according to several students, the campus community is still very much split on who it supports in the election.
“In general, it’s a pretty conservative campus,” said sophomore Tim Hoffman, president of the Bucknell Students for Barack Obama group, who helped organize the forum. “But I have had friends who are registered Republicans or Independents who have told me they would vote for Obama if he wins the nomination.”
Republican Allison Zhornist, a sophomore, attended the event because she didn’t know enough about Obama to form a strong opinion one way or the other.
“I’m very interested to see what his views are,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot of pros and cons.”
Her friend, “hardcore Obama” supporter Michelle Daniels, believes the candidate is more capable than his opponents of leading the country in a positive direction.
“I don’t care about his lack of experience,” she said. “I feel like he has everyone’s best interests in mind.”
Other students said they were attracted to Obama’s central message of change and the inspirational way he delivers that message.
“Just the way he presents what he believes in is very uplifting,” said senior Matt Deener. “He’s sincere. When most politicians talk, you can’t believe them. If McCain or Clinton started talking about change, nobody would believe them because they’re established candidates.”
Freshman Kelsey Wiggin said she was still on the fence between Obama and Hillary Clinton because “I feel like the news and everything is not showing me a true portrayal of them.”
Allie DeRosa, a freshman and a registered Republican who voted for Sen. John McCain in the New Jersey primary, said she wouldn’t rule out the possibility of voting for Obama in November.
“I definitely know that I’m not voting for Hillary and I’m not convinced about McCain,” DeRosa said. “I’m with Kelsey. I haven’t heard enough.”
But according to Wiggin, one thing is certain: Bucknell is not a pro-Clinton campus.
“I hardly hear of anyone who supports Hillary,” she said.
Last month, Bucknell formally invited the remaining presidential candidates to speak at the campus.
On Monday night, a woman named Roberta asked, “Based on this turnout, will there be any interest in Barack Obama coming here?”
To which a campaign worker responded, “We’ve heard and we’ll see what we can do.”
n E-mail comments to rscott@dailyitem.com.
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