We’ll start a second liveblog dedicated to the Summit itself, which is about to start. Join us! Or reminisce about all the fun times we had on the lawn, with our earlier liveblog.

7:04 PM: Everyone took their seats off the stage. Ushers are ushering people to chairs. If Bwog sees one empty chair…

7:06 PM: Ooh, we’re starting, we’re starting! Thank you to our sponsors, Target and Time magazine, and others!

7:07 PM: It’s Joseph Ienuso, who just asked one million people to turn off their cell phones.

7:08 PM: Bwog operative spots a sniper on the roof of Butler. Awesome.

7:09 PM: It’s someone from Target and someone from AARP talking about ServiceNation. Hm, it seems most of the sodas that were here earlier are gone.

 

7:11 PM: Where is Rick Stengel?! Oh but who cares that’s Usher, the “youth co-chair.”

7:14 PM: A pack of Terrible 12s are celebrating 40s on 40, about four years too early. They are wasted. They’re right by Alma Mater, go say hello!

7:17 PM: So while this guy is talking, we thought we’d report that earlier Joe Biden gave a small speech to a crowd at 114th and Broadway.

7:18 PM: The flaxen-haired, elf-like boy who plays Eric van der Woodsen is sitting on the steps behind Alma Mater. Maybe the Terrible 12s will share their alcohol with him, but we doubt it.

7:21 PM: It’s PrezBo time.

7:23 PM: PrezBo thanks ServiceNation and talks about 9/11 and extends a special welcome to the 9/11 families, who are in Roone.

7:24 PM: PrezBo is proud of you, just for sitting on the Steps!

7:25 PM: Now he’s talking about the history of the Core, because he may as well. He just called Lerner a “global citizenship house” and said that all of Columbia should be called that.

7:26 PM: SEAS shout-out.

7:27 PM: There’s no audio for you on the lawn, apparently. Yikes. Well, PrezBo is just introducing Paterson.

7:28 PM: Paterson is telling a Service-related joke that also relates to his blindness.

7:30 PM: Shocking reports from the unruly lawn: the livefeed has cut out! There are boos and demands for the Jumbotron to be turned up.

7:32 PM: Paterson is calling us to Service. Oh, now he is talking about the economy and subprime things and 3/4 of people being dissatisfied with the direction in which the country is going, which sounds suspiciously partisan to us.

7:33 PM: Lawn report! Audio on the Jumbotron is up, there is brief cheering. Then the screen loses color.

7:35 PM: Bwog operative sends in photos and notes from outside the gates: A few lonely World Can’t Wait protesters — including Manhattanville activist Tom DeMott – -with orange signs decrying war against Iran, torture, etc. etc. Passersby either take pictures or rush on confusedly.

7:37 PM: People in the press room are giggling at the ridiculous Tobey Maguire introduction: “He starred in 3 of the 15 highest grossing movies of all time…” Apparently Maguire’s next movie co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal.

7:38 PM: Tobey: “I swear I did not write that introduction.” Even Tobey Maguire is a little incredulous Tobey Maguire is here.

7:40 PM: Overheard: “Let’s drink every time they say ‘service.’” Please don’t kill yourselves.

7:40 PM: Tobes says that though he may play a superhero in the movies, the real superheroes are the people who do actual good deeds. Mmm.

7:41 PM: Tobes is clealy unsure whether to look at the audience or the camera. Now he just looks stoned.

7:44 PM: A woman whose son died on 9/11 is talking about terrorism, torture, and how she has dedicated her life to helping victims of mass violence.

7:46 PM: “The need is everywhere is growing as war and civil strife continue to make headlines around the world.”

7:47 PM: Lawn Report! Trouble with the screen! It’s black and white, and alternating to color, and now it’s off…

7:49 PM: 9/11 is now a nationally recognized day of service. Another 9/11 family member just said of 9/11: “You wanted to find a way to help, even in just a small way. We thought that passion was just too valuable to waste.”

7:52 PM: The screen is black. Some press member just screamed.

7:53 PM: Oh, thank god, it’s back. But who is this guy? Apparently the screen’s still out on the lawn.

7:53 PM: The screen is gone again. You can actually feel panic. Everyone is silent but screaming on the inside.

7:55 PM: People are starting to migrate from the Steps, as there is no video or sound. In the press room, there’s just the ServiceNation logo which is, in a way, worse than if it were just a blank screen.

7:56 PM: It’s Joseph, working with the content team. He’s thanking us for blogging and telling us about ServiceNation.org, and there’s a livefeed but that is down. Now he is telling us about the depelted soda reserves.

7:57 PM: Listen up! Joseph says that the screen will cut out when there is an advertisement. Everyone calmed down and went to go find soda.

8:00 PM: Ha, all the media people are trashtalking C-SPAN. “This is a perfect C-SPAN event, there are all these celebrities,” which we think is an insult.