Eager to learn

By Jon Sarver Jr.

From the moment my alarm went off at 2 a.m., until the time the bus pulled into the airport in Raleigh-Durham International Airport, I was very stressed about flying to Iowa. I have almost no experience flying, and I was unsure of what to expect. That anxiety quickly faded thanks to the quick nature of moving through security, and help from my friends and professors. After getting through that experience, I was able to relax and enjoy the flight to Minnesota.

During the layover in Minneapolis, I got to enjoy lunch with some of the other journalism students on this trip. While the price of my cheeseburger was quite steep, I learned a lot at that lunch. I know most of them fairly well from working with them at Elon News Network, but I felt like I got to know them a little better. I hope that continues over the course of the next 10 days.

After the layover in Minnesota, the class took off for Des Moines. While I was anxious for the flying portion of this trip, I have been very excited to get to Iowa. I fully anticipate reporting in the weeks leading up to the Iowa Caucus will be incredible. I am looking forward to going out with my fellow journalism students and talking to candidates and voters, shooting photos and shooting video. I signed up for this trip hoping to gain experience in political reporting, which I do not have. I truly believe that this experience will make me a better journalist.