Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won a mock caucus held Tuesday by the AU College Democrats.
Twenty-six students of a group of 60 showed their support for Obama's candidacy in the caucus. N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton and former N.C. Sen. John Edwards were the only other viable candidates in this caucus. Each candidate needed 10 supporters in order to be considered "viable" in the caucus, according to Casey Oakes, vice president of the College Democrats.
Oakes said he thought this outcome reflected the general electorate.
"I would not be surprised if this is the way it will be in Iowa," Oakes said.
The rules of this caucus required participants to separate into different preference groups based on the candidate of each person's choice.
The group supporting Hillary Clinton taped campaign signs on the wall. Each member wore a sticker from the campaign. Several members of the Obama group wore T-shirts that showed their support for their candidate.
Students also expressed their disapproval of opposing candidates. After the Clinton group began a "Hillary" chant, the Gianni Lounge filled with boos from the other groups.
Alex Manzanares, a sophomore in the Kogod School of Business who supported Clinton in the caucus, said it is important to keep an open mind in this election.
"I hope to leave knowing a little more about Obama," he said at the caucus.
As the caucus continued, groups began to lobby undecided voters. Others began joining groups with more viable candidates.
Samantha Cooper, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she was unsure about who she would support before the caucus.
"I'm going to have to be persuaded by one of the groups," Cooper said during the caucus.
The conversation in the room was marked by debate and discussion about candidates.
The caucus was a fun way to have an end-of-semester party and a study break for students, Oakes said.
"The Iowa caucus is so unique," Oakes said. "This was a good way to learn and have fun."
Steve Dalton, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, said he was interested in seeing what happens in a caucus.
"I wanted a better understanding of how it works in Iowa," Dalton said.
Followers of less viable candidates still tried to lobby for more support in the caucus.
Michael Weiss, a sophomore in SPA, was the only person supporting Del. Sen. Joe Biden at the end of the night.
"We need more support for Joe Biden, and I'm trying to get more awareness at AU," Weiss said.
Cooper said she came to the mock caucus hoping to learn more about each of the candidates.
"It's really cool that people are willing to do this," she said.
