Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) rallied with thousands of students and community members in Price Center Plaza on March 30. Kerry discussed his plan for a $4,000 tax credit for college students and attacked the Bush administration’s energy policy among other campaign topics.
Event organizers estimated that 2,300 people filled Price Center Plaza and about another 1,500 observed from overflow areas near Library Walk.
Price Center transformed overnight into a campaign stop worthy of national attention. A huge American flag was draped over the windows in front of the ballroom foyer, supporters wielding campaign signs overflowed from the plaza, and snipers occasionally scanned the crowd with binoculars from their vantage points on the roof of Price Center.
“The energy that was in … the crowd was amazing,” said Kate Maull, president of College Democrats at UCSD, which sponsored the event. “It just went off without a hitch.”
The candidate’s daughter, Vanessa Kerry, introduced him to the crowd. Midway through his half-hour-long speech, Kerry promoted his national service plan. It will allow high school graduates to spend two years working in their communities in exchange for four years of their state’s public college tuition.
“I believe we ought to start to make it possible for no young person in America to ever have to compromise their dreams because of the cost of education,” Kerry said.
Kerry also discussed a program that will help students pay off loans if they teach in underprivileged schools after graduating from college.
Student reaction to the rally was largely positive.
“I like his educational policies and giving that $4,000 back,” Earl Warren College sophomore Robin Basra said. “I think that’ll help students out across the country.”
About a dozen representatives from the Campus Republicans appeared at the rally, clapping sandals whenever Kerry mentioned President Bush. Kerry acknowledged the group by saying he was glad they attended and that they would learn a lot.
“He was John Kerry as always — very eloquent, always flip-flopping from side to side. We named a shoe after him,” Thurgood Marshall College senior Viet Tran said, referring to the sandals the College Republicans brought to the rally.
During the rally, Kerry outlined a plan to lower gasoline prices, which are at record highs in San Diego and in many parts of the country. Kerry promised to pressure oil producers to increase supply, temporarily stop filling the strategic petroleum reserve, and set a goal that 20 percent of the nation’s electricity will be produced by renewable sources by the year 2020.
“‘If the gas prices keep rising at the rate they’re rising now, Dick Cheney and George Bush are going to have to carpool to work,” Kerry said. “These aren’t Exxon prices. These are Halliburton prices.”
Bush press secretary Scott McClellan countered Kerry’s accusations on March 30 by blaming Congress for not approving Bush’s energy plan and alleging that Kerry plans to raise gasoline taxes. Kerry’s platform, as currently outlined, does not include a gas-tax increase.
A.S. President Jeremy Paul Gallagher spoke to the crowd before Kerry’s appearance to encourage students to vote in next week’s A.S. elections.
“Who here is ready to join in the fight for what they believe in? Who here is ready to educate themselves and make a change in the status quo for the better?” Gallagher asked the crowd, which cheered in response.
The rally was originally sponsored by Associated Students. However, since Associated Students is a unit of the Student Affairs division of the university, it was not allowed to host a partisan political candidate. The College Democrats at UCSD took over as the official sponsors of the event, but neither the College Democrats nor Associated Students spent any money bringing Kerry to UCSD.
“It wasn’t a fight we had the time … to fight with [Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs] Joe Watson over,” Maull said.
Security for the rally was coordinated between the UCSD Police, San Diego Police and the Secret Service. Dozens of officers were on hand to secure the event.
“He came in, did his presentation and left without incident,” UCSD Patrol Sergeant Jeff Cox said.
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Carmen Vazquez applauded the hard work that went into planning the event.
“This will help support not only our A.S. elections, but have students be more informed and maybe help to be involved in their civic responsibility long-term,” Vazquez said. “That’s what it’s all about, education and awareness.”
At the rally, Kerry touched upon topics such as the AIDS epidemic, the need for stem cell research, closing tax loopholes that encourage companies to move overseas, making healthcare affordable and recommitting the country to science, technology and discovery.
“I know there’s cynicism, I know there’s a sense of letdown, that people feel the impact of what happened in 2000 and some people think there’s no difference between one or the other, and some people think the promises are just made to be broken,” Kerry said. “I don’t believe that.”
After the rally, Kerry attended a fundraiser luncheon at the seaside mansion of Ron Burkle.
Gallagher said that many students enjoyed having Kerry speak on campus and seeing UCSD on local and national television.
“I think it helped to instill a lot of school spirit and a lot of school pride,” Gallagher said.
