As AOC walked into the room, people were talking excitedly and laughing. They were anticipating the meeting that would begin in a few minutes. She waved at people, shook hands and smiled warmly. Slowly people drifted to their chairs and the chatter slipped into an electrified silence.

AOC stood at the front of the room, her hands folded in front of her, looked around the room and made eye contact with several people. They smiled back and nodded to acknowledge the gravity of the moment.