Kaitlyn Hughes | features editor

Carnegie Mellon University students and staff flocked to the street as Vice President Kamala Harris motorcade turned the corner onto Forbes Avenue. They filmed and waved as the cars passed by.

A group of women gathered on Forbes Avenue, jumping to get a look at the stream of black SUVs and motorcycles whizzing by.

As sirens sounded, the group cheered and flailed their arms through the air to get the attention of Vice President Kamala Harris, as she passed by in her motorcade to speak at CMU.

Leading the group’s excitement was Carnegie Mellon University’s Assistant Director of Alumni Constituent Engagement Eden Kraus.

Kraus said the experience was invigorating.

“We just walked down here to be able to get a glimpse,” Kraus said. “We actually saw her wave.”

Although the windows were tinted Kraus was able to get a peek at the presidential candidate.

Crowds of students, faculty and staff gathered behind barricades on the lawn of Purnell Hall, phones waving high in the air with the goal of taking a picture of Harris.

The vice president spoke at The Philip Chosky Theater inside the hall touching on economic policies.

This is her fourth time visiting the Pittsburgh area since she became the Democratic nominee for the presidential election.

Invitees turned away

While the event was invite-only, about 100 people with invitations waited outside the venue after overflow seating had already been filled.

“They invited too many people without realizing how much room there was,” said student Ava Barruffi.

Barruffi was disappointed that she was promised a seat but not able to obtain one.

It would have been her first time attending a presidential candidate’s event. She was going to use this talk as an educational experience.

“I wanted to hear more about what her values were and what she is going to do because I wasn’t able to catch up with anything yet,” Barruffi said.

Adam Butkus is a semi-retired staff member from the university.

Butkus was upset at not getting in, so he sent an email complaint stating that he was not very happy with how the situation was handled.

“I was told by a guy who’s apparently involved with the Allegheny County Democratic committee that he is sorry, but that with future events I’ll be taken care of,” Butkus said. “I don’t know what that means.”

He said they were only allowing particular donors into the event.

College students are vital for this election

Harris has made sure to cater to younger voters.

Student Iris Chen said it is good Harris is outreaching to college students in the Pittsburgh area.

“Her target audience being first-time voters and since Pennsylvania is a swing state, I think that’s good for her campaign,” Chen said.

Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan was invited to the event by Pennsylvania Democrats. She is a member of the local Democratic committee and a representative for Ward two and District Three in Ross Township.

She said attending talks at college campuses is beneficial to Harris’ campaign.

“I think it shows that she is willing to be present here where young people are planning for their future,” Pagel-Hogan said.

Thoughts on Harris’ policies

Attendees waiting in line addressed Harris’ policies.

Butkus said that he supported Roe v. Wade and how Harris wamts to eliminate abortion bans.

“I personally think that women should be given more of a choice in what’s going to impact their bodies,” he said. “She’s smart and aggressive and she doesn’t back down to Trump.”

Pagel-Hogan said she was a supporter of reproductive rights and agrees with Harris’ stance on the matter.

“We need to make sure that people across this country have access to the health care they need,” she said.

Pagel-Hogan said she sees Harris as a gun-sensitive candidate.

She said that school shootings is a topic that many college students are familiar with.

She came to the event wearing a pin that said, “Moms Demand Action for gun sense in America.”

“That’s also really important to me that she’s going to try and make colleges and schools all the way down to preschool safer,” Pagel-Hogan said.

Anthony Cacciato, student and president of the College Republicans at CMU, said that Harris’ economic policies will be harmful to Americans.

He said the idea of putting price controls on basic goods is harmful to the people they are trying to help.

“I’m not saying Trump is perfect in his economic policy,” Cacciato said. “When you compare the two, it appears that she’s got an economic policy which would be concerning young people going into the world after college.”

Upset by the exclusivity of the event

Cacciato said the event being invitation-only was concerning and it showed that Harris is unwilling to engage with opposing viewpoints.

He was present to make sure that young people who have issues that are not being addressed by Harris were seen.

“I think that’s a critical part of American democracy,” Caccito said, “to show that there’s respectful disagreement.”

Student Smirti Chopra said she was disappointed that the event was private.

She said that some college students have yet to pick a candidate because this is their first time voting.

“College students are a big demographic that should be targeted, especially in Kama