The University Center was filled with almost 1,500 enthusiastic supporters of Texas Representative Ron Paul last Friday evening, where the presidential candidate hopeful delivered a speech that criticized the federal government, its policies and shared his ideas for turning America around.

Supporters traveled from all over the country to hear Paul’s speech; some from nearby like Ruston, La. and others even as far away as North Dakota. The stadium was filled with chanting and shouting of Paul’s campaign slogans like “End the Fed” and “Restore America.”

Paul was introduced by Josh Dupont, a political science senior and chapter president of the Youth for Ron Paul group at Southeastern. While not an official student group, Dupont and other students became involved with Paul’s campaign by phone banking and going door to door to gather support in Baton Rouge, Covington and Hammond. Dupont’s group was contacted by Paul’s base in Baton Rouge and was asked if they could advertise his visit to Southeastern.

“The state campaign called on Monday and asked if we wanted Ron Paul to come to campus,” said Dupont. “With the time we had to advertise and plan, I think everything went great. We had a great turn out for something that happened at the last minute,” said Dupont.

Paul walked calmly onto the stage, despite the thunderous applause, whistles and cheers from the crowd. Casually dressed in jeans, tennis shoes and a blue button-up shirt, Paul began his speech with a declaration to his audience: “The revolution is alive and well.”

Paul’s speech centered on the usual list of his issues during his campaign, criticizing the federal budget, entitlement systems, the federal reserve, the “uncontrolled” spending on military operations and undeclared wars of the last few decades. Paul touched on the challenges facing higher education in his speech, but focused more on the issues of personal liberty, reducing foreign aid and, most importantly, downsizing the federal government.

When asked by the Lion’s Roar about his thoughts on the problems education [such as budget cuts and teacher layoffs] has been facing, Paul said that they can be traced back to the federal government.

“First we need to wean ourselves off the Federal government because they cause the problem,” said Paul. “The Government has no authority to interfere in education, whether it’s graduate education or preschool and up. When you debase the currency, which is what the reserve is doing, and channel money into areas like housing and health care, that pushes prices up.”

Paul spoke of his college years where he paid only about $320 for a semester’s tuition, which is a price unheard of today.

“I didn’t have a big job either, I worked evenings and weekends,” said Paul. “It’s impossible to do that now. The cost is the real problem and many think that moving more federal money into the equation will fix it, but it won’t. It just drives prices even higher.”

Paul explained that by reducing the size of government and getting spending under control, the challenges faced by America in all areas could be resolved.

“You always have to have a transition, you can’t cut everything right away,” said Paul. “We need to cut the military and oversees aide and spend that money here, put it toward the deficit and our infrastructure. Another way to help that would be to legalize competition with the fed [federal reserve] and allow gold and silver to circulate.”

Many Southeastern students were among the crowd, including Phi Mu Alpha Sinfona brothers and junior music education majors Lawrence Joiner and Jessie White.

“I came here tonight to see Ron Paul,” said Joiner. “I support him and I like what he has to say. He isn’t bickering about which candidate to vote for, he’s all about the facts. I like his views on foreign policy and the federal reserve; I’m completely against the federal reserve, we shouldn’t be spending money that we don’t have.”

While he agrees with Joiner, White views Paul’s campaign as a struggle for equality.

“His campaign is an act of love and equality,” said White. “It’s not about classes, it’s about rights and fighting for those rights instead of entitlements.”

While Paul has yet to win a single state and only accumulated 50 delegates over the course of the primary, Joiner is optimistic that Paul will gain ground during the Louisiana Caucuses on April 28, the winner of which will gain all the delegates in Louisiana.

“Media coverage, I think is a big part of that, I think they’ve slighted him a little,” said joiner. “Only time will tell.”

The Louisiana Primary concluded on March 24, with former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum winning 49 percent of votes. Mitt Romney had won 27 percent and Gingrich had 16 percent. Paul received only 6 percent of the votes in Louisiana.