Mel and Barack

Barack Obama came to Keene in April, and I was assigned the task of introducing him to a crowd of 2,500 students and community members. Barack was definitely a star, and by association I was given the star treatment. The cord around my neck is connected to a pass that would get me anywhere.

When Barack arrived (I called him "Senator;" He said, "Call me Barack.") I got about 5 minutes of time to welcome him to campus and chat. Then I introduced him to the students who had invited him to campus.

He went into the clutch (that's the room where big donors get a piece of the candidate before the public address), and I went into the gym to handle the big introduction. I got a standing ovation. I'm sure pretty much anyone would have, but it was cool nonetheless. People laughed at my jokes, too.