Hundreds of students and people from the community made their way to Virginia Tech to listen to democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.

The excitement of the presidential hopeful could be felt on campus. Hundreds of people lined up outside of the Hancock Auditorium to hear from O’Rourke.

“I have been following Beto O’Rourke since my best friend Sarah introduced me to him through Instagram five months ago and so I’m freaking out and super excited that he’s here,” said Virginia Tech junior Lilly Church. “I am just trying to become more politically informed and see what he has to say about economics and especially what he is going to say going forward.”

“I would just like to see him in person, we see him on TV all the time, but I’d like to see him in person and see what he has to say,” said Blacksburg Resident Mary Ollendick. “What I’m hoping is a lot of these young people really come out and vote because I think that’s our best chance to get a whole new administration in and we need a new administration.”

The auditorium only held about 300 to 400 people, so the overflow crowd had a chance to hear O’Rourke speak in the lobby. His first topic he addressed, climate change.

“Hearing them in person is different than seeing them on TV talk, and to have the personal contact with him, even though he didn’t have much time was really incredible and awesome,” said Lynda Majors who has been protesting the Mountain Valley Pipeline for years.

Majors said she had a chance to tell O’Rourke about the issue and is glad he listened and took down her contact information.

“In my mind, if we don’t have a world, the other things don’t matter quite so much,” Majors said.

“I wanted to meet the people that I want to be able to serve as president, and I’ll have no idea of what’s on their mind, their concerns or the things they’re excited about, unless I first come here to listen to them and to hear them, and also to introduce myself and share with them the courage of my convictions,” O’Rourke said when he addressed the media after the town hall.

O’Rourke said the thing that will stay with him the most is seeing the memorial for the victims of the 2007 shooting on campus.

“The way that everyone chose to overcome that and transcend that in the lives that they’ve lived since then and then the work that they’re doing right now to make sure that we reduce this epidemic of gun violence in America,” O’Rourke said.

“I know that he knows what it feels like in El Paso, he spent a couple of weeks there, mourning, and him being here, I can tell that he’s genuine and it’s really impacting him,” said Virginia Tech freshman Max Gannon.

O’Rourke said he hopes the people who went to the Town Hall are more optimistic about the country’s future once he leaves town.

“We have the chance to work together to prove to this country for all of us here today and every generation that follows. That’s why you’re here, that’s why I’m here, less for a candidate, but all about for this country,” O’Rourke said.