Something Greater in Iowa

By: Victoria Egan

Two days ago when we first landed in Des Moines, everything felt so surreal. I could not believe that I was in Iowa and about to embark on a once in a lifetime adventure that I know will be one I remember for the rest of my life. The Iowa Caucus is something that I have learned about for years in my U.S. government and history classes and is now something that I will get to experience the effects of first hand. My first day began with rounds of phone calls to voters informing them about Pete Buttigieig’s town hall he will be holding in Des Moines on Sunday. While a majority of my phone calls went to voicemail, the few individuals I talked to were genuinely nice, something you would not experience in New England. As I was making these calls I began to realize how much of an impact my small actions were having. For the first time in my life, I truly felt as if I was a part of something so much bigger than myself.   

In the afternoon it was time to go out to a neighborhood and start canvassing, something that scared me even more than making phone calls. Despite being given the option, I decided to go out and do it anyway because I know how much of an impact talking to voters face to face can have, and honestly, when would I have the opportunity to do this again? I am so glad I did because if I had not I never would have met Linda. Linda is the definition of ‘Iowa nice.’ When she opened her door she told us that she was unsure of who she was going to caucus for, a trend that seems consistent among many Iowa voters. After talking to her for a few minutes she expressed her strong liking of Pete Buttigieg but was not sure she was ready to fully commit. At the end of the conversation, she told us that she “was honored to know us” and that she greatly admired the work we were doing. This completely made my day and touched me on a deep level, proving to me once more just how important what I am doing here in Iowa is.

My second day of making phone calls started rough with the first person angrily refusing my phone call and annoyed. After a couple of voicemails, my second answer was an individual who told me the person I was trying to reach was dead. This set my day off a little depressing and dark but as I continued, I was once more shown the ‘Iowa nice’ with almost everyone else I talked to and had such enthusiastic Pete supporters. Although we were preparing to head out again today and canvas, the higher-ups in the campaign decided to call off all canvassing due to the weather. It started as freezing rain and quickly became a heavy snowfall which resulted in an early end to the workday. Overall, the first few days have been extremely powerful and eye-opening. Although there are exceptions, a majority of Iowans who I have talked to over the past two days are truly engaged with the democratic process. They know the candidates, get enthusiastic about the candidates and realize the important role their state plays in our country’s presidential elections. This journey has just begun and I have already learned so much and met some incredible individuals. With only 24 days until the caucus, I know that this is just the beginning of a ride of a lifetime.