NCSU has low turnout for Obama rally

RALEIGH -- It's not easy getting college students out of bed on a holiday for a political rally -- but a celebrity, food and music helps.

Roughly 100 N.C. State University students chomped on free pizza and watched actor Kal Penn campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on Monday at Harris Field. The students were motivated by politics -- and an interest in seeing the star of the "Harold and Kumar" movies and the television show "House."

"If it wasn't for Kal Penn, I don't know if I'd be here," said Hamish Patel, 19, a sophomore at NCSU from Morrisville. "But I strongly support Barack Obama."

Penn was in North Carolina over the Labor Day weekend to register voters and motivate the youth vote. Before the NCSU visit, he spoke at Wake Forest, Elon and Duke universities and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Penn told the NCSU students that North Carolina is a battleground state where results could hinge on how many of its 500,000 college students register and vote.

"A lot of you have friends in Iraq, who can't afford health care or who have parents who have lost jobs," Penn said. "I know a lot of you want to make a change."

After his talk, Penn acknowledged in an interview that the turnout was low, especially compared to the Sunday events at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke.

"The size of the crowd doesn't matter," Penn said. "What's impressed me is how engaged the crowds are."

Jason Whitham, 21, a junior at NCSU from East Granby, Conn., walked away happy. Penn signed an Obama T-shirt that Whitham purchased at the rally.

"Kal's a funny guy," Whitham said. "I'm open to anything. I grew up Republican, but I want to see a change."