Sen. Ted Cruz took to the stage of Liberty University's arena to officially throw his hat into the ring for the 2016 presidential campaign as thousands of students from the notoriously conservative university packed the seats Monday. While the senator played to the crowd, students anonymously chatted amongst themselves on the app Yik Yak, weighing in on the conservative hopeful's big speech.
The anonymous 'yaks' from Liberty University offer candid insights into the mindset of the in the crowd, reflecting both support and criticism of conservative candidate Cruz, excitement at the media spectacle and apathy from others.
At least one Yik Yak user weighed in on the requirement that students attend all three of the weekly "convocations" held in the school's Vines Center arena.
Some were wow-ed by the national media spectacle descending on their university. This audience member particularly enjoyed watching news crews try to capture Cruz's speech as he delivered it surrounded on all sides by the audience.
Thousands of students, who were required to attend, filled the stadium as Cruz called for the return of conservative values to the White House.
During the speech, Cruz was pushing the "Imagine" slogan hard asking students at one point to, "Imagine millions of courageous conservatives rising up together to say, in unison, we demand our liberty!" The students quickly thought of a few other uses for the slogan.
Some students were unimpressed that their school seemed to be playing political favorites by hosting the first candidate to officially throw his hat in the ring.
Others were just excited to have the national spotlight cast on their university.
