NEW YORK (AP) -- Several Columbia University students are hoping to capture some of the grass-roots energy behind Barack Obama's White House bid by filming his supporters in New York.

Their documentary includes a 70-year-old who believes a presidential victory by Obama would be vindication for those who fought in the civil rights movement.

It also includes college students who drag themselves out of bed in the early hours to campaign for Obama because they feel they're part of history in the making.

A student in Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, Linzi Sheldon, came up with the idea. She says she was struck by numerous pictures of students supporting Obama while surfing a social networking site.

The students insist the project isn't pro-Obama but tries to present an objective look at his supporters.

They expect to finish the documentary in March.