“With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States,” said Barack Obama—and the 85,000 strong crowd at Invesco Field went wild. At the same time, the packed crowd of students, TV news broadcasters, professors, and political analysts gathered in Annenberg’s East Lobby at USC last night, also soaked up those words with great enthusiasm and joy.

Minutes before the start of Obama’s acceptance speech, the moderators of the event at Annenberg—Professor Geoffrey Cowan, communication Professor Tom Hollihan, J-school director Geneva Overholser, and Dan Schnur, director of the Unruh Institute and former communications director for John McCain—informally polled the crowd to determine who was still undecided on their presidential pick. Only two hands hit the air.

Guillermo Vazquez, a first year student in the J-school master’s program, admitted that he was still unsure. “It’s easy to go for Obama,” said Vazquez. “It’s the popular thing to do.” After hearing Obama speak last night, Vazquez remained undecided. He’s hoping the upcoming debates between Republican nominee John McCain and Barack Obama will help clear up his uncertainty.

Kevin Patra, another first year student in the J-school master’s program, said that his support for Obama was not an attempt to follow the crowd. “I don’t consider myself a Democrat at all. I’m an Independent,” said Patra. “McCain, over the last four to six years, has proven that he’ll do whatever the Republican party wants him to do. Obama, on the other hand, has a good message of change.”

Guillermo Vazquez and Kevin Patra

Indeed, the Annenberg crowd went crazy with hootin’, hollerin’, and applause, especially when Obama spoke of alleviating the burden of crazy college tuition costs. That particular moment in his speech hit home with the students in the Annenberg audience and Obama’s equal opportunity education initiatives seemed to sit well with the school administrators and university profs in the crowd.

Ilham Hassan, a fourth year undergrad in USC’s biology department, remarked that Obama’s experience as a community organizer is refreshing. “His life story is compelling. There’s a drive there,” said Hassan. She also reflected that, despite Obama’s attacks on McCain’s policies, “Obama still held true to his ‘nice guy’ image.”

Vanessa Kuroda and Ilham Hassan

Is it just an image? Or, as the Republicans suggest and the moderators discussed last night, is Obama just one big speech? Or moreover, a mere rock star?

“The conservatives compare Obama to a rock star because rock stars come out of nowhere,” said Andrew Garvin, a freshman in USC’s undergrad program. “People like him don’t come around too often. Tonight is the night. It’s about tonight.”

With peeps crammed high and low in Annenberg; pizza free flowing; a cheering, jeering, and laughing crowd; and major news networks making the rounds with their bright lights and rolling cameras, Obama’s acceptance speech certainly created a scene in our little corner of L.A.

And so, I must actually agree with the Republicans on one account . . .

Only a political rock star could have inspired the cross-generational, after-hours buzz up in the halls of Annenberg that Obama created last night. Party on, Barack.