First Lady Michelle Obama at Penn for Get Out the Vote Rally

PHILADELPHIA – First lady Michelle Obama visited the Penn campus for a “get out the vote” event on Nov. 1, the day before the midterm elections. An enthusiastic crowd packed Penn Commons to hear Obama. “It is really because of you that so much has been accomplished in such a short period of time,“ she said. The doors opened at 5:30 p.m., but the lines began forming by mid-afternoon. During the two-hour event, the speakers included Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Congress members Allyson Schwartz and Chaka Fattah, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato and Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak. Actress-singer Sheryl Lee Ralph sang the national anthem. The Penn Glee Club sang Penn’s school song, “The Red and Blue.” The free event was open to the public, but many in the audience were students. The crowd cheered when Obama said, “We have a lot of work to do. We need you to get fired up. Talk to everyone you know. Get them to vote tomorrow. Find those who were going to sit this one out. Our campaign wasn’t about putting one man in the White House.” The event, co-sponsored by the Penn Democrats student group, is part of the Democratic National Committee’s “Moving America Forward” events to urge voters to go to the polls.