Democratic National Convention — Wednesday Night

I went down to the DNC last night. I figure there's plenty of stories, including those in our own paper about the content of the event, so here's what happened from my POV:

I got off of the light rail at the Auraria stop and hauled my backpack full of equipment across campus.

Note to self: don't bring so much stuff on Thursday.

It was interesting seeing various protesters walking back with their signs. There were a few that caught my eye. One guy had a Re-create 1776 sign.

This guy was making a heart with his hands for some reason. He wouldn't give anyone a straight answer about what it meant.

And, of course, there was a couple trying to get tickets to the event.

The police closed off a large section of Speer and only those with passes were allowed in. From Speer, we walked down Auraria Parkway to the Pepsi Center where we met another checkpoint. The police didn't let anyone cut, which was nice, but it felt like being back in fourth grade all over again. One guy was actually sent to the back of the line.

Brooklyn's by the Pepsi Center was turned into the CNN Grill. Only people with CNN creds were allowed in. Anderson Cooper ran by me, but I did get a picture of MTV's Sway posing for a picture with some of the women from APIAVote, a nonprofit organization that promotes civic participation among AAPIs.

On Sunday, the police seemed to be quite stiff, but they seem to have loosened up — I caught a few pull out their handheld cameras and taking pictures.

Many people had credentials that allowed them to get in, but didn't guarantee seats — including myself. So when the big speakers were on, many crowded around TVs and entrances to get a glimpse.

This was where I spent my time listening, or trying to at least, to John Kerry speak. (Interesting note: his entrance theme was Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."

Luckily, I ran into a friend who staked out a prime position on the third level and offered to share it with me.

It was right above the Fox 31 broadcast booth where Ron Zappolo and Libby Weaver interviewed all sorts of folks, including Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

However, the best part was that I was a section away from the Clintons. Made for great photo ops.

When Joe Biden came out, there was a loud roar from the crowd. He got the crowd to follow him in saying, "McCain, more of the same."

But that roar was nothing compared to when Barack Obama made a surprise appearance. It was so loud in the arena, I felt chills going down my spine. I can only imagine what it's going to be like tonight.