Hillary Clinton Book Signing at Union Square Barnes and Noble

Natasha Roy, Assistant Managing Editor
September 12, 2017

NYU students joined the seemingly endless line of people eagerly awaiting their opportunity to meet Hillary Clinton at the Union Square Barnes and Noble on Tuesday.

Clinton’s new book, “What Happened,” was released Sept. 12. The signing at the bookstore was scheduled to go from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. but Clinton was signing books well past 3 p.m.

Purple wristbands were handed out at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, but some people began waiting in line at 10 p.m. on Monday. Several NYU students were able to grab wristbands, including LS freshman Andrew Shi, who waited for six hours to meet Clinton.

“I have class at 3:30, so I was late for class,” Shi said. “I got to shake hands with her, and I got to talk to her for a while. I talked to her about where I’m from, and [I] also told her I’m a huge fan of hers. And she told me, ‘Thank you for being here.’”

A handful of Bernie Sanders supporters were also outside the store, protesting the results of what they called a rigged Democratic primary. They had signs listing major things that have happened since the election — “fracking lobbyist transition team, hubris and courting moderate GOP” — and spoke to passersby from behind a designated police barricade.

However, the protesters were far outnumbered by the crowd of Clinton supporters snaking around the block. CAS sophomore Alex Modric said there were very few protesters, and he found them to be unconvincing.

“[They were] slightly obnoxious, but it’s a constitutional right,” Modric said.

Modric said he thanked Clinton for her service and told her she inspired his sister, mother and friends.

Some students, like CAS junior Alexis Hill, woke up as early as 4 a.m. to get in line to meet the woman who inspired them.

“I knew that it was going to be crowded,” Hill said. “We decided we had to be there super early to make sure we could meet her.”

Hill met Clinton at 1 p.m., and because she was there so early, she did not see any anti-Clinton protesters. She said she enjoyed meeting other Clinton supporters, who she said were talkative.

Hill said Clinton inspires her and that meeting her was one of the best experiences of her life.

“I told her how she inspired me to run for local office,” Hill said. “I was shaking trying to tell her all this, on the verge of tears. She grabbed my hand and said that was amazing and to keep powering through.”

Clinton will be back in New York for “Hillary Clinton Live” Nov. 1 at The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center on the Upper East Side.

Email Natasha Roy at [email protected].