Bill Clinton Comes to WPI

It’s been a while since I’ve shaken hands with a famous person. You might recall my last such experience when I shook hands with Steve Jobs, exactly 2 years ago…almost to the hour.

This time around, I got to meet and shake hands with Bill Clinton when he came to WPI to campaign for Martha Coakley, who is running for the U.S. Senate. I got in line for the 4:30 pm event at around 4:00, just after my physics class, and the line was already quite long.

News crews had been setting up earlier in the day, and the police and security had been around campus for quite some time to prepare for the former president’s arrival.

When I finally got inside, there was already a crowd of people filling the standing room in anticipation.

Even though the event was scheduled to start at 4:30, Bill Clinton arrived late and we weren’t able to start until after 5:00. At this point, several people I don’t know spoke about Martha.

Then, finally, after waiting for a very long wait, Bill Clinton was introduced and we finally got to see the former president speak.

He is a great speaker, and he worked the supportive crowd very well. I really like this shot of someone taking video with, of course, an iPhone.

Then Martha Coakley began speaking, and though many people left as Bill’s speech was over, most stayed if only to be polite.

The crowd began to thin when it was all over, but that stopped as quickly as it started when Bill started making his way through the audience to shake hands, sign books, and kiss babies.