Before this week, I had only ever gone to one political rally. I was very young when my mother took me to an Obama rally. Since then, I have really developed my own mind and political opinions, which sparked my interest in the upcoming election. Since I began following the election, Bernie stood out to me; now after months of watching debates, and doing research on all of the candidates, I finally had the opportunity to see my favorite candidate. I didn’t know what to expect going into Bernie’s rally, but it was great. The energy was so positive, and everyone was so friendly. It was definitely one of the best opportunities I have had in a long time.

1. You’ll approach protestors and campaigners from other parties.

When I walked up to the venue I was greeted by a man giving out DVDs. I was a little skeptical when I took the DVD, but played it anyway. The DVD worked to spread the message of God. There was also a man standing outside of the venue who was running as an independent candidate for Senate. He was asking for signatures so he could have his name on the ballot. I know nothing about this man, but I signed anyway; he seemed nice enough.

2. You’ll be greeted by smiling volunteers, who are genuinely glad to see you, giving out stickers and posters.

I could tell that the volunteers at the rally were really happy to be helping with the campaign. Even though it was before nine in the morning, the volunteers were all energetic and wanting to share their enthusiasm for Bernie.

3. You’ll be encouraged to vote.

Just after passing by the greeting volunteers, you’ll encounter several more volunteers who are there to help you fill out your voting paperwork. Everyone working for a political campaign knows that encouraging citizens to vote is the best way to get the candidate elected. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to help you find yourself at a voting booth come the day for the primaries.

4. People will cheer and start chants.

As the time for Bernie got closer and closer, people became more and more excited. Half an hour before Bernie took the stage, the venue was echoing with people chanting “Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!” and “Feel the Bern! Feel the Bern! Feel the Bern!” You couldn’t stand in that room without feeling the excitement and momentum building up.

5. You will see people making friends with other rally-goers.

I looked around and saw several people introducing themselves to complete strangers. At one point, a young man wearing a knee brace behind me was getting tired from standing for so long. A man standing next to him (they did not know each other) offered the injured man to lean on him for support so he wouldn’t have to leave his spot. It was so refreshing to see people being so friendly and open to meeting one another.

6. An exciting and memorable speaker will introduce Bernie.

In Cleveland, former senator Nina Turner introduced Bernie. She was an excellent speaker that engaged the audience and brought to light several of the issues Bernie would be addressing. Her speech was able to excite the whole crowd and get everyone energetic enough to welcome Bernie.

7. Bernie will finally take the stage.

Bernie was greeted by cheers and waves. Everyone was so excited to finally see Bernie and to hear what he had to say. There was nothing more exciting for me than to finally see the person I have been supporting for so many months. It felt like an old friend walked into the room; especially with the way he waved at the audience and was visibly excited to see all of us.

8. He won’t waste any time getting to the issues.

Bernie didn’t waste any time with small talk. He did thank the people who welcomed him, and he did thank Baldwin Wallace University for hosting him, but he didn’t spend too much time on that. Right away, he began speaking about the corruption of money in politics and how different his campaign is because it is funded by his individual supporters.

9. He will discuss issues such as caring for the lower class instead of helping the wealthy become wealthier…

“A country is not judged on how many billionaires or millionaires it has, but on how it treats the weakest and most vulnerable among us.” This by far stood out as my favorite part of the speech. This quote alone is why I support Bernie so much and truly appreciate what he wants to do for the United States. In my opinion, the job of the president is to look out for the people and to work in favor of those who need it most. This is also drastically different from other candidates (**cough, cough, Trump) who have openly admitted that they are greedy and only want what will benefit them.

10. …institutional racism…

Bernie is not one to shy away from the fact that the United States runs on a system of institutional racism. He made note of the fact that African Americans in this country are extremely disadvantaged and are often targeted. He showed his true desire to create change for the people who suffer from this injustice.

11. …college tuition…

Bernie acknowledged the fact that many people my age are finishing college tens of thousands of dollars in debt. He recognized the fact that many people are held back because they cannot afford college in the first place. He wants to change this by ensuring that dedicated students will not be held back because college is too costly. He used the example that in Europe, several countries provide tuition-free higher education, to prove that it does work in other countries.

12. …the decriminalization of marijuana…

Bernie made a great case for the decriminalization of marijuana. He recognized the fact that it is in the hands of state governments whether or not to legalize marijuana, but he did show the difference between heroin and marijuana. He explained that we can find many scientists who disagree on whether or not they're in favor of and not in favor of marijuana, but that is completely different from heroin. With the growing heroine epidemic, it is important that we focus on helping those suffering from heroin addiction, rather than marijuana.

13. …climate change…

Thank you, Bernie, for admitting that climate change is real and a result of human activity. While other candidates refuse to believe that climate change is an issue, Bernie is willing to take the issue head on, in order to reverse the damage we have already done. If we are stuck with a president who denies the environmental issues, they will only get worse at an exponentially growing rate.

14. …and giving women the right to control their own bodies.

This one has proven to be a very important issue for many people. There are many candidates looking to disallow abortion for a woman, which takes away her rights to control what happens to her own body. Bernie acknowledges that women should have these rights, and it is inhumane to take the right of autonomy away from women.

15. You will not hear about foreign policy.

While Bernie prioritizes the American people, he does leave out a large portion of the issues. During the rally, he only mentioned international affairs when it concerned the effects of international trade on the American economy. Some people find this troubling, and others are grateful that he is paying attention to the citizens rather than issues that are outside of our borders.

16. He will do his best to meet as many people as possible.

Although I did not get the chance to personally talk to Bernie, I still knew he made an effort to meet as many people as possible. He is an incredibly friendly and personable politician. From the way he greets his supporters and from his stances on the issues in the United States, you can tell that he really does care about each person individually.