By Sabreen Dogar
October 30, 2013: What a memorable day! In addition to the Red Sox clinching the World Series and an epic KSSG-sponsored Halloween party at Club Royale, a handful of lucky HKS students got the chance of a lifetime to go see the President of the United States in person at historic Faneuil Hall.
The lucky ones who attended the event, which was a speech and rally by President Obama in defense of the Affordable Care Act, had either won tickets through a lottery or were chosen to attend as members of KSSG.
The excitement began early in the afternoon as several HKSers trekked downtown together and patiently waited in long security lines, energized by the thought of seeing and hearing the president in person. Indeed, when President Obama stepped onstage later that afternoon, he certainly did not disappoint.
Given the intimate setting and beautiful backdrop of Faneuil Hall, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. HKS students were spotted perched in balcony sections enjoying unobstructed views or on the main floor squeezing their way to the front row hoping for a possible Obama handshake or fist-bump (and yes, some in this group realized their hopes…and likely still haven’t washed their hands).
Despite a few interruptions by hecklers protesting the Keystone pipeline, the President delivered a solid speech, during which he thanked Massachusetts government and health care policy workers for setting the example for the ACA and applauded their success at the state level. President Obama also vowed to fix the technical problems plaguing healthcare.gov while also pleading with the public to have patience as the ACA rolls out.
U.S. and international HKS students in attendance seemed impressed by President’s performance, and were grateful they got the chance to witness just a little bit of history and politics in this legendary city renowned for both.
The Citizen