Other students said they were attracted to Obama’s central message of change and the inspirational way he delivers that message.

“Just the way he presents what he believes in is very uplifting,” said senior Matt Deener. “He’s sincere. When most politicians talk, you can’t believe them. If McCain or Clinton started talking about change, nobody would believe them because they’re established candidates.”

Freshman Kelsey Wiggin said she was still on the fence between Obama and Hillary Clinton because “I feel like the news and everything is not showing me a true portrayal of them.”

Allie DeRosa, a freshman and a registered Republican who voted for Sen. John McCain in the New Jersey primary, said she wouldn’t rule out the possibility of voting for Obama in November.

“I definitely know that I’m not voting for Hillary and I’m not convinced about McCain,” DeRosa said. “I’m with Kelsey. I haven’t heard enough.”

But according to Wiggin, one thing is certain: Bucknell is not a pro-Clinton campus.

“I hardly hear of anyone who supports Hillary,” she said.

Last month, Bucknell formally invited the remaining presidential candidates to speak at the campus.

On Monday night, a woman named Roberta asked, “Based on this turnout, will there be any interest in Barack Obama coming here?”

To which a campaign worker responded, “We’ve heard and we’ll see what we can do.”

n E-mail comments to rscott@dailyitem.com.