Come and Go

By: Andrea Sheetz

The current scene as I write this post is eerily similar to what it looked like as I wrote the first one. I’m sitting in the same standard hotel room with a packed suitcase (less than 50 pounds is TBD) in the corner. After we depart tomorrow, not much will change from when our class was here in Des Moines or before. Candidates will still come to town, caucus preparations will still be under way, Alicia at the breakfast buffet will still make omelets, and we will all return to Elon and the various commitments with which our days were previously filled. 

            However, what happened during our visit has left an undeniable mark on me, the full extent of which I am probably unaware. Most apparently, I have even more respect for the simple elements of our democracy. I, and I suspect many other people, get caught up in the complexity of the big picture of our nation’s politics. But the national headlines and top story on Tuesday, February 4^th will be the result of everyday people gathering in elementary school gyms, public libraries, bars (yes, bars can serve as caucus locations), and fire stations, similar to those you and I have in our communities. They will assemble to support someone who has gotten to know their state over many months. And if their group is not 15% of the total, they must listen to their neighbors and think critically about which candidate to realign with. The Iowa Caucus makes national and international news by bringing people together to discuss and voice their opinion on the future they want for our country. Not to minimize the process, but this idea should not be so uncommon. 

            One conversation that has been held over the last few meals is how hard it is going to be to come back to Elon, where the caucus is quite literally not the talk of the town. This trip has been greater than I could imagine. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities Elon has provided so that I could have had the conversations I did, seen everything I saw, and learned all that I have. But to be completely honest, I am really ready to not keep up with every news alert or be inundated with politics 18 hours a day. The fatigue that this immersive study has brought reaffirms my decision not to study political science or policy.

            One thing Iowa taught me is the necessity of balance. We need a middle level of involvement and knowledge, which I believe is becoming rare. To know what is going on and to have an opinion should not be a notable trait of someone and sharing these thoughts should not result in being labeled a ‘political person.’ Nobody should feel like they have to spend hours reading the news and volunteering for candidates to be qualified to have an opinion. But there is no reason for ignorance of current events or apathy to the privilege of participating in democracy. 

At one event, I met a woman who sees every candidate multiple times before deciding on for whom she should caucus. Three hours earlier, I called an elementary school where the secretary asked if I was working on “that caucus thing.” Frankly I don’t completely blame the latter. It is easy to sit on the sidelines and avoid hearing stories that may create discomfort and stay inside instead of attending events or caucusing. But our collective future depends on the buildup of small, yet sometimes hard, actions that make us active citizens.