In my element, but out of my comfort zone

By: Erin Smith

     I became aware of the opportunity to go on this trip over a year ago in my
Global Experience class from the one and only Dr. Mark Dalhouse. He did not
have to do anything other than give a brief synopsis of the 2016 trip to have
me convinced that I NEEDED to be in Iowa in 2020. So, as all my friends were
applying to go abroad to Ghana or Hawaii for J-term, I was applying to go to a
landlocked, rural state in the middle of the US. But, I knew this trip would be
perfect for me, as everyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I lam at my peak when engaging in conversations and events centered around politics. I have always taken the time to stay informed about politics and current events, but after the 2016 election I felt the urge to become even more dedicated and involved. That is when I found my overwhelming passion for all things politics and I am thrilled to finally have
the chance to pursue this passion during such an interesting and particularly
pivotal time for the United States.

     Within the first 5 minutes on the bus ride to our hotel in Des Moines, I
began to see the countless billboards and yard signs advertising the caucus or
a particular candidate in every direction I turned. It took a whole bus of eyes
to catch each time we passed a candidate’s sign and to shout out the name. We all
seemed to be in our element as we discussed what we hoped to see and experience during our 12 days in Iowa. I was especially nervous about how my trip would play out because I had never done anything even remotely like this before. Also, it seemed like most of the class knew each other in some capacity, but I didn’t really know anyone that well beforehand. Luckily, it didn’t take me long to gravitate towards the other girls that were going to be volunteering for the Elizabeth Warren Campaign with me. I honestly
feel like I owe it all to Elizabeth Warren for being so amazing that we could
bond over her and her Golden Retriever, Bailey.

     The next day marked the first time I officially volunteered for a political
campaign and I learned firsthand what it meant to actually go out and caucus. We
arrived at the campaign office and the first thing I noticed was a wall covered
in all the different reasons people were supporting Elizabeth Warren for President.
The sheer numbers and content of the answers ensured me that I chose the right candidate to caucus for. After a brief orientation from an incredible staffer, we were off to knock on over 60 doors to canvass voters. I spent the first few doors observing my classmate because she was an experienced canvasser and I truly had no idea what I was doing. I was expecting to have many doors slammed in our faces, but I discovered that the notion of “Iowa nice” to be extremely accurate. We ended up speaking to one woman who actually invited us inside so we could ask her about the caucuses and her thoughts on the whole process. Also, we got to meet a beautiful puppy named Sergeant Pepper after his owner chased him through the house specifically so we could pet him. I feel like I have already learned so much about Iowans and the impact of the caucuses
just from the first day I was able to be on the ground. I’m pleasantly surprised
at the ease in which I have been able to engage in conversations with almost
every Iowan I come into contact with. I can’t wait to see what the upcoming days have to offer. When I give my next update, I plan to include a picture of the selfie I will take with Elizabeth Warren at her event on Sunday. I’m officially putting that out there to manifest it into a reality.