The Russell House Ballroom was standing room only on Thursday as hundreds of students filed in to listen to Republican presidential candidate and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio give a Town Hall meeting.
Rubio spoke in Columbia on a two-day campaign stop in South Carolina. After a meet and greet Thursday morning in Fort Mill, South Carolina, Rubio was ready to speak on campus that afternoon.
After students filled the room, head basketball coach Frank Martin stepped up to introduce Rubio. Like Rubio, Martin is a Miami, Florida native and of Cuban heritage and he shared feelings of pride and commonality in introducing the senator.
“It’s not very often that you can say that a guy who walked the same footsteps you walked, that comes from the same background you come from, can be a leader in our country,” Martin said.
Rubio began by speaking about his parents, originally from Cuba, who embodied the American dream by working hard and leading simple lives in order to create opportunities for Rubio to live a better life.
“They came to America because it was the only country in the world where people like them could have a chance to get ahead,” Rubio said.
The Florida senator also addressed an array of talking points popular with students, from plans to decreasing the national debt in a changing world economy to having a strong national defense.
One issue Rubio spoke about in particular affects many college students around the country: student loans. Rubio’s platform includes creating alternatives to student loans and promoting programs that are flexible alternatives to four-year colleges.
“We can’t keep graduating people in this country with a bunch of loans and degrees that don’t lead to jobs. I feel passionate about that,” Rubio said.
Rubio emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong American identity to move the country forward as leaders of the world.
“Every country has rich people, every country has famous people,” Rubio said. “What makes us different is that here, people that are never rich or famous — through hard work and perseverance — cannot just achieve a better life for themselves, but leave their kids better off than themselves. That’s who we have to remain.”
After his speech, Rubio answered several questions on issues including foreign policy, incarceration, poverty rates and education reform. Questions were submitted by students via the Twitter hashtag #AskMarco.
First-year international business student Rebecca Scamardo thought Rubio seemed more relatable after hearing him speak.
“He was so personable about paying off his student debt and talking about his parents,” Scamardo said. “I thought he was more humble and on our level than you might think a senator would be.”
Rubio finished his trip to South Carolina on Friday with stops to the lowcountry in Horry County and Myrtle Beach.