On March 14, an endless line of eager spectators stretched across the St. Charles Family Arena parking lot as thousands anticipated the arrival of Vermont Sen. and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

With a number of state primaries including Missouri’s occurring March 15, Sanders seized his final opportunity to make a lasting impression on the citizens of the St. Louis area as well as the rest of the state before they took their decisions to the polls.

Just days before Missouri’s election, Michigan achieved a record turnout that was speculated to ultimately benefit Sanders and give him the support he needed to defeat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 1.5 percent of the vote.

The atmosphere of Sanders’ rally was vastly different than that of the recent Donald Trump rally, whereas no protesters were present for Sanders’ speech. Although both candidates have recently clashed in regards to disruptions at Trump’s events, there was no evidence that this conflict had any effect on the Sanders’ rally nor the size and enthusiasm of his audience.

Throughout his speech, Sanders was adamant towards recognizing all major democratic coalitions. He addressed issues from across the spectrum, including infrequently discussed topics such as Native American poverty levels. Most prominent on his agenda were calls towards preserving civil rights in the modern age, establishing equal pay for women in the workforce, recognizing LGBTQ rights, and awarding United States citizens their right to social programs that are implemented throughout the rest of the industrial world.

Although most of his energy was devoted to his own policy stances, Sanders also addressed issues that surround corporate America and its creation of a rigged economy that lead to corrupted presidential candidates. He discussed his denial of super PACs, and his faith that the power of the people united would overcome that of corporate influence. 

In his concluding words to a massive audience, Sanders urged his supporters to the polls, emphasizing that a large turnout would be essential to his success. He left his listeners with assertions that highlighted the overall message of his campaign.

“A nation is judged morally not by the number of millionaires and billionaires it has,” said Sanders. “but by how it treats its most vulnerable people.”