Crowd skews young for Bernie Sanders rally at CSU

Thousands lined up outside Moby Arena on a warm Sunday in February to attend a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.

A line formed hours before the doors opened at 4 p.m., and Moby Arena's 8,745 seats were almost full by the time Sanders began speaking just after 7 p.m. — the only empty seats that remained were in the rafters.

The crowd trended young, and some who came to hear Sanders speak won’t be able to vote for the presidential candidate because they’re not yet 18.

Maya Winmgerger and Connor Moore, both high school students in Fort Collins, were among the first to arrive at Moby Arena. To pass time, they made calls to local registered Democrats — those who “actually can vote,” Moore said.

They said Sanders’ campaign appeals to a younger generation. Winmgerger has most often read about Sanders on Tumblr.

“I don’t think any adult ever talked to me about Bernie,” said Winmgerger, a student at Rocky Mountain High School. “It’s all, like, other kids.”

Em Boyett, the first in line, arrived at Moby Arena at 7:30 a.m. Her friends joined her later. She is a sophomore at Colorado State University, and she said Sanders engages voters on issues other candidates don’t address.

“I just think he’s the best option for feminists ...” Boyett said. “He’s trying to include people of color, trans people, queer people. He’s trying to put our issues in the front line. He’s trying to put this generation’s issues in the front line.”

Karen and Joe Warkentine, a couple from Greeley, said they are fans of many of Sanders' policies, including universal healthcare. Karen Warkentine laughed as she said they were among the only “oldies” waiting in the line.

“I’m choosing not to study history but to participate in it,” Joe Warkentine said.

While many inside Moby Arena carried signs or outwardly showed their support for Sanders, some remained neutral.

Colton Stott, a sophomore at CSU who was waiting in line, said he brought one of his friends as a way to convince him to vote for Sanders.

“People that don’t like Bernie Sanders or aren’t going to vote for him, they should be here more than the other people,” Stott said, adding that he plans to caucus for Sanders on Super Tuesday. “If someone like Donald Trump was here, I would probably be more inclined to come.”

SUPER TUESDAY: Where to caucus in Fort Collins for Super Tuesday