Calvin Wilborn could feel the excitement in the air as Hillary Clinton officially became the first female presidential nominee of a major party in U.S. history.
Wilborn, Alabama College Democrats president, Auburn University College Democrats president emeritus and junior in political science, attended two conventions in Philadelphia this week: the College Democrats of America Convention, immediately followed by the Democratic National Convention. He attended the DNC along with other members of the Alabama delegation.
On Thursday night, Clinton spoke to the convention and officially accepted the party's nomination. Balloons, confetti and fireworks followed her speech.
"To see her officially nominated, and to see how excited and enthused everyone was, that was a great moment," Wilborn said.
Wilborn has been active in Clinton's campaign in recent months in both Alabama and Florida, and he said the DNC inspired him to work even harder until the election.
Clinton's stances on criminal justice reform and college affordability affect Wilborn on a personal level, he said.
"Being a college student and an African American male in the Deep South, those really impact me," Wilborn said.
It's easy to get caught up in the frenzy of a national election, Wilborn said, but students should also think about who makes decisions locally.
"Yes, this is a presidential election and we did just nominate our candidates," Wilborn said. "Our local mayors, our local city commissioners, they play an even bigger role in our daily lives. Down-the-ballot voting is so important."
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