The eyes of the world fell upon Des Moines, Iowa, as 9,000 activists, UW Madison students and the leading Democratic Presidential candidates attended the Jefferson Jackson dinner, the Iowa Democratic Party’s largest fundraiser of the year.

UW Madison Students for Hillary Clinton participated in the event, along with thousands of other supporters who used signs, chants and noisemakers to garner attention for their candidate.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CT, Sen. Joe Biden, D-RI, former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson all spoke at the dinner.

The event appeared similar to an arena rock concert. The top six Presidential candidates entered the floor under strobe lights and flash bulbs, and spotlights scanned the audience.

Tickets for the event ranged from $20 for balcony seats up to a few thousand dollars for a table near the stage.

The balcony was packed in sections broken up by each candidate’s supporters.  Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., had the most supporters at the event, while Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and former Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, each had two large groups of attendees.

The Edwards supporters held aloft small lights during his introduction, seemingly in the tradition of raising a cigarette lighter at a concert. Groups of attendees shouted slogans like “Fired up? Ready to go!” for Obama and “Go! John! Go!” for Edwards.

Edwards spoke first, and Clinton and Obama were the last two to speak.

“I think it went great. Hillary had two huge sections,” SFHC member Stephanie Biese said. Biese said Clinton distinguished herself from the other candidates in her speech.

SFHC plans to go to Iowa during winter break, maintaining focus on the state until the Jan. 3 caucus, according to Biese.

After the Iowa caucuses, the group will concentrate on the Wisconsin primary that takes place in early February, Biese said.

UW Madison fifth year senior Brittani Garner said the event was useful for supporters of one candidate to hear another candidate’s views. Garner said the event was the first time she had heard John Edwards speak.

There are less than 60 days till the Jan. 3 caucuses.