Students opt out of Hillary Clinton rally from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton visited Kent State’s campus to rally and encourage people to vote as Election Day draws near. But many students didn’t attend because they didn’t have time, or don’t agree with her policies.

Clinton came to Kent and spoke at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center to a crowd of around around 2,900 people, according to an email from Omer Farooque, regional press secretary for Hillary for America.

Some students did not know about Clinton was coming to campus. Julie Vu, a freshman fashion design major, was one of these students.

“First of all, I didn’t know it was happening,” she said. “I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t been paying attention to signs or anything … and also, I have class.”

Several other students, like Thomas Beeler, couldn’t go for the very reason Vu said. Beeler, a sophomore zoology major, said he had a lab class.

“I was a volunteer for Bernie Sanders whenever he came to speak,” he said. “The Clinton campaign called me and told me that she was coming and had put me down as invited, but that’s before I realized I had the lab.”

Madeline Anich, a junior political science major, said she had an exam.

“I’ve already voted, so I feel like I have no obligation to be there,” she said.

Anich said she would have liked to see Clinton speak.

“How cool would that be, to get to see Hillary Clinton in person, you know, woman who might be our first woman president,” she said. “But at the same time, I don’t mind missing out on the crowd, and I do have to get things done.”

Other students said they weren’t going because they didn’t support Hillary Clinton, like sophomore economics major Bryan Poynter.

“I don’t really think morally I can support her fully as a candidate for president of the United States.”

Anthony Embacher, a senior anthropology major, shared similar sentiments.

“I think we’ve heard what she’s had to say, and with the FBI reopening her case, I’m more interested in that … And she does have a really big record of lying with the emails,” he said. “There’s really no point in going.”

Some students felt like they were missing out by not attending.

“I think I’m going to miss an impassioned speech to get college students to vote, because we as young people typically turn out to go to the ballot, Beeler said, “and this year, even less, so because of two very polarizing candidates.”

Andrew Atkins is an administration reporter, contact him at [email protected].