The University of Tennessee Students for Barack Obama have done their part to ensure the nomination for the senator from Illinois.

The group of approximately two hundred volunteers has been hard at work campaigning for the Democratic candidate.

Campus organizer, Ian Orr, said that UT Students for Obama have concentrated their efforts towards gathering information and making sure the young senator's campaign is well advertised around campus.

"Compiling supporter data and visibility have been our two big things," Orr recounted. "We've not done much fund raising. Most of our money was donated."

Though there have been no major events since Super Tuesday, the Obama support group received assistance from more than seventy volunteers in the week leading up to the Feb. 5 primaries.

The week before the Tennessee primaries, the group set up tables, held signs, wore t-shirts, held 2 rallies, painted the rock and even managed to land it a spot on CNN.

Orr, who has been the campus organizer of the students for Obama since early January, made his decision to support the senator for many reasons.

I wanted someone who would abolish partisan bickering. I wanted someone who can inspire and unite. America is uniting behind a positive message. Ian Orr, UT Students for Obama"I wanted someone who would abolish partisan bickering," Orr said. "I wanted someone who can inspire and unite. America is uniting behind a positive message."

Though there are no specific plans to continue on campus support at this time, the student group is planning on Obama winning the election. Orr expressed that the group is working on becoming an official organization and that anyone can get involved.

Anyone intersted in Sen. Obama in the Knoxville area can accompany UT Students for Obama on Feb. 19 to watch the Wisconsin and Washington primaries and the Hawaii caucuses.

The group will be holding a primary watch party at the World Grotto in Downtown Market Square. It is set to kick off tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. 

If you are interested in participating in UT Students for Obama, contact obama@utk.edu, iorr@utk.edu or check their Facebook page for more information.

Students for Obama is one of many UT support groups for 2008 presidential candidates. If you are a member of a support group and would like to be featured, please send a message to Politics@TNJN.com.