#POTUSatGT Trends on Social Media

#POTUSatGT: Swamping Social Media During President’s Address

#POTUSatGT Trends on Social Media

Campus was bustling with activity as Georgia Tech served as the setting for President Barack Obama to address college affordability. The capacity crowd in McCamish Pavilion got pretty loud at times. But inside the arena wasn’t the only place buzzing with interest in what the commander in chief had to say.

Social media websites exploded with photos, videos, and comments about the President’s stop at Georgia Tech. The hashtag #POTUSatGT generated over 2 million timeline deliveries on Twitter and was trending in Atlanta for much of the morning and afternoon. Hundreds of instragram photos were shared using that same hashtag. Each photo and tweet telling a unique part of the story of the 44th president’s visit and it’s impact on our campus and the nation.

One of the most noticeable aspects of the President’s address at Georgia Tech was the multitude of electronic devices hoisted into the air to capture the moment.
 
We found several of moments frozen in time and shared by students on their Facebook pages, the pictures and photos giving insight into each Yellow Jacket’s experience from the historic visit.
 
Many Georgia Tech students described meeting President Obama’s visit to campus as the opportunity of a lifetime. Hundreds of photos poured in on Instagram under the #POTUSatGT hashtag in the hours leading up to the address and during the speech itself.

Twitter

One of the most active users on Twitter was @ogscxtty, an aerospace engineering major at Tech, and he had one of the best seats in the house. He tweeted this picture.


Mechanical engineering student Erica Gabriel (@TGIErica) tweeted “So proud to be a yellow jacket today!!! #ThanksObama  # POTUSatGT”


Hessam Mostajabi says on his Twitter account “One of the coolest events I've ever experienced.”


Ning Yan had pictures of her ticket and the jumbotron with the president’s face gracing it. “Once-in-a-lifetime experience for a speech by Mr. President!” she tweeted.


Brittany Vidal, a civil engineering major, shared a photo on her Twitter account reading, “ Today was really cool.”


Jason Hunyar tweeted: “between 3 tests and a quiz I got to see the President of the United States speak in person.”


Civil Engineering professor Kari Watkins brought her two daughters to hear the president’s address.


Alumnae and current Tech professor Seletha Butler tweeted: “Shoutout @GTStudents on great job representing @GeorgiaTech for # POTUSatGT. Watched from classroom. Proud Prof. & GT alum.”

 

Kim Para tweeted: “Proud of my alma mater for hosting #Obama yesterday and encouraging more STEM education.”

Graduate student Casey Fiesler said, “It gives me warm fuzzies to hear the President say such nice things about my school,” on her Twitter account.

Breanna Deen said “Today was a great experience to finish out my last semester,” on her twitter account.

Facebook

Industrial Engineering major and Georgia Tech Inventure Prize winner Jasmine Burton captured this amazing image of the commander-in-chief as he shook hands with students after the address.

Bioemedical engineering student and photography maven Megna Saha snapped this selfie with the President Obama. In the caption, Saha shared a quote from the final moments of the president’s address: "No matter who you are or where you come from, not only can you succeed, but you can help everybody else succeed."

On Zach Steinfeld’s Facebook page, he shared the moment he shook hands with the commander in chief, surrounded by other Georgia Tech students.

Georgia Tech graduate student Vett Vandiver was captured in a photograph taken by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Thank you, AJC,” Vandiver posted, “for capturing the moment I will cherish for the rest of my life! So grateful for this experience.”

“One day I'll be the one people are wanting to take selfies with #potus .” posted Jason Lupuloff

I never would have dreamed that I would have been this close to the President of the United States!” exclaimed Jennifer Armbruster, industrial engineering major.

“So grateful to go to this amazing school,” posted Roger Jewell.

Modern languages major Yvonne Ploder was speechless. “There are no words. What a great day for Georgia Tech,” she posted on her Facebook page.

“What a day! Volunteered to work #‎ POTUSatGT‬ and got the Presidential handshake,” Chad Sims shared on his Facebook page with a photo of his outstretched hand waiting to meet President Obama’s.

“Before I shook his hand, I had the honor of listening to the President of the United States of America give a speech on the same stage I'll be receiving my college diploma on in under two months from now,” said civil engineering major Patrick Chevalier

 

Instagram

Mohamad Najia proved to be a social media rockstar covering the event from his own social media channels. On Instagram, he snapped a photo of his group of friends showing off their tickets to the event.

Instagram user @thebinarycodex shared a photo of crowds streaming into McCamish Pavilion after the doors opened.

@Kabbas2 on Instagram got this pretty unique angle of President Obama as he came on to the stage.

For most students it seemed, it was about crafting the best instagram that showed their vantage point. Taylor See was standing on the floor of McCamish when she captured this image:

User @emathur3 was up in the stands, and took a photo from this perspective, saying simply “Thanks Obama!”

Selfies were abound on Instagram under the hashtag #POTUSatGT too, with student inserting themselves into the scene. Kenneth Ng was behind the stage while the President spoke.


Instagrammer @cannemeadows was on the floor for the address and flashed a smile with the commander in chief in the background.

Closeup shots, especially of the ever-important handshake moment appear in good number. @jv_clark04 posted this picture with two students being greeted simultaneously.

@shirinkale’s handshake moment came with a evocative caption. “Easily the most inspiring moment in my life,” she shared. “The leader of the country that gave me the opportunity to be the person that I am today.”