By Victor Cedeno (Drake)
August 22, 2008
The first thing I do each morning is go on my computer and check the news. Right away I noticed that CNN had a live feed of the convention hall. For the first time ever, the hall had been disclosed to the public before the official kick off of the convention. Today I would not attend any lectures. I would soon be on my way to the very hall that was being streamed live all over the world. I would be one of the first to see with my own eyes the stage that has taken months to prepare and would soon be host to some of the greatest politicians and voices in the country.
A group of us were volunteers as security for the first-ever open house event for the Democratic National Convention. We arrived an hour early (6:00am) so that we could tour the hall. As we entered the Pepsi Center, the excitement was in the air. We were led as a big group to the second floor of and taken down a long path around the hall. As we walked the excitement grew exponentially as we were able to take peeks of the inside of the hall through some curtains that were not all the way closed. Through the openings we saw a small portion of the bright blue almost purple room.
We finally arrived at one of the open entrances and the sentiment was that of awe. The first thing I noticed was the clear abundance of blue in the room. Most of the room is decorated with red, white, and blue (of course), but blue was a dominant presence. All the seats were separated in sections depending on the states; each state delegation is marked by a tall blue pole. The main attraction of course was the stage with the podium. The podium is in the center of the (blue) stage. Behind it is a door that resembles a second but higher podium. Behind the podium extends what I recall as the most amazing and biggest screen I have ever seen, only the Imax Theater can compare and still falls short. To be more specific the screen is separated into 12 different parts with different shapes. The center screen showed: "DNC Democratic National Convention 2008." Surrounding the text was an American flag that flowed upwards its stars. The top screens actually bend towards the audience and stand directly above the podium for an overwhelming feeling.
We know that conventions are a lot more Hollywood than politics. The nominee has already been chosen. The purpose of the convention is to coronate the candidate and present him or her to the American public. It is a staged act and this time the Democrats have gone out of their way to make sure the stage is fit for a great act. But it is not about just looking good; there are many strategic parts to the stage. The presence of blue is very important. Blue is a softer color very often associated with unity and harmony, exactly the kind of atmosphere needed at the convention (and, of course, it's come to be synonomous with the Democratic party). It's interesting to note the placement of the delegations. Illinois, of course, is in the center being Senator Obama's home state. Colorado also gets the privilege of the floor for hosting the convention. Other battleground states are also on the floor such as Ohio and Iowa. Interestingly enough Michigan and Florida both have floor seats. This sparked some debate as it could be seen as a sign of a weaker party unable to enforce its own rules. The message could be, defy the party, and receive more attention. At the same time, these two states created an issue that helped divide the party, perhaps this is the way to help unite it.
After witnessing the stage itself before any speakers I realized how much was at stake. This must be a successful convention and the expectations are as high as the stage is magnificent. I wonder if the program for the next week will live up to expectations.
August 22, 2008
The first thing I do each morning is go on my computer and check the news. Right away I noticed that CNN had a live feed of the convention hall. For the first time ever, the hall had been disclosed to the public before the official kick off of the convention. Today I would not attend any lectures. I would soon be on my way to the very hall that was being streamed live all over the world. I would be one of the first to see with my own eyes the stage that has taken months to prepare and would soon be host to some of the greatest politicians and voices in the country.
A group of us were volunteers as security for the first-ever open house event for the Democratic National Convention. We arrived an hour early (6:00am) so that we could tour the hall. As we entered the Pepsi Center, the excitement was in the air. We were led as a big group to the second floor of and taken down a long path around the hall. As we walked the excitement grew exponentially as we were able to take peeks of the inside of the hall through some curtains that were not all the way closed. Through the openings we saw a small portion of the bright blue almost purple room.
We finally arrived at one of the open entrances and the sentiment was that of awe. The first thing I noticed was the clear abundance of blue in the room. Most of the room is decorated with red, white, and blue (of course), but blue was a dominant presence. All the seats were separated in sections depending on the states; each state delegation is marked by a tall blue pole. The main attraction of course was the stage with the podium. The podium is in the center of the (blue) stage. Behind it is a door that resembles a second but higher podium. Behind the podium extends what I recall as the most amazing and biggest screen I have ever seen, only the Imax Theater can compare and still falls short. To be more specific the screen is separated into 12 different parts with different shapes. The center screen showed: "DNC Democratic National Convention 2008." Surrounding the text was an American flag that flowed upwards its stars. The top screens actually bend towards the audience and stand directly above the podium for an overwhelming feeling.
We know that conventions are a lot more Hollywood than politics. The nominee has already been chosen. The purpose of the convention is to coronate the candidate and present him or her to the American public. It is a staged act and this time the Democrats have gone out of their way to make sure the stage is fit for a great act. But it is not about just looking good; there are many strategic parts to the stage. The presence of blue is very important. Blue is a softer color very often associated with unity and harmony, exactly the kind of atmosphere needed at the convention (and, of course, it's come to be synonomous with the Democratic party). It's interesting to note the placement of the delegations. Illinois, of course, is in the center being Senator Obama's home state. Colorado also gets the privilege of the floor for hosting the convention. Other battleground states are also on the floor such as Ohio and Iowa. Interestingly enough Michigan and Florida both have floor seats. This sparked some debate as it could be seen as a sign of a weaker party unable to enforce its own rules. The message could be, defy the party, and receive more attention. At the same time, these two states created an issue that helped divide the party, perhaps this is the way to help unite it.
After witnessing the stage itself before any speakers I realized how much was at stake. This must be a successful convention and the expectations are as high as the stage is magnificent. I wonder if the program for the next week will live up to expectations.
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