When I found out Bernie Sanders was making a stop in my college town of Evansville, Indiana, I was unbelievably ecstatic. I'm a "yuge" Bernie supporter, and I was super thrilled to find out that I also could attend the rally since I didn't have class. This was Monday, May 2nd, 2016, the day before the Indiana primaries. I had already cast my absentee ballot for Bernie a week prior, but I still wanted to go.
My friend and I wanted to have a good spot in line so we could actually be able to see, and since the rally started at eight in the morning, we decided to leave campus at five and head downtown. When we arrived, the line wasn't too long. It was super chilly outside for May, but it got pretty bearable after the first hour. Everyone there was super quick to smile and tell us good morning. The line was filled with people, young and old, dressed in Bernie shirts, hats, buttons, and a lot of people had signs. To my surprise, people had actually camped out outside of the events center just to get a good spot in line.
When we got in line, we realized we actually had to wait in line for three hours before we could go inside. As soon as the girls behind us showed up, we made friends. These girls were super nice and even got interviewed a few times.
The nicest people we met all day, however, were the girls who brought donuts for everyone in line, and I mean everyone.
I had to take a picture of them because they deserved a lot more recognition. Thank you, Donut Girls, I didn't have breakfast that morning. You saved me from being cranky all day.
Soon enough, the line was at least half a mile long, and you could barely see the end of it. There were chants such as "Feel the Bern!" and "Bernie! Bernie!" which fired up the crowd quite a bit. The crowd never died down, despite the fact everyone was there before eight in the morning on a Monday.
Finally, the line started to move, and we were all piling in the events center. Going through security took a while because they (the Secret Service) were literally making people throw out everything, even nail polish! It seemed odd to me, but I can understand the need for everyone to be safe, especially at a crowded event like the rally.
When we got in, it was surprising that there were no seats, but I think it's because of how many people needed to get into this room. After we stood for a while, we found out that Bernie would not be out for another two hours. In that two hours, I saw many different things, including:
The "Blue-Beard Man" who's kind of halfway famous, on the internet that is
He got to meet Bernie, and stand on stage behind him, which I believe was pretty well-deserved.
Also, I saw this Harry Potter sign
I don't know what it means, but I know it's from Harry Potter.
Finally, ten o'clock rolls around, so it was time for Bernie to come out. The crowd got a little restless, but we were just excited for him. When we finally hear the words, "Hello, Evansville!" the crowd erupts with pure happiness. Bernie gets right into talking about his policies and how important it is that we take care of our nation's people.
The good thing about Bernie is he usually doesn't attack his opponents. During this speech, he only mentioned Donald Trump maybe twice. He did, however, mention Hillary, but it is understandable since it was the day before the Indiana primaries. He expressed to us how important Indiana was for voting and how we should go out and vote as soon as possible.
He ended his speech by simply reminding us that he's the right choice for everyone, not just his supporters.
After going to the rally, I realized how important it is for young people to get involved with the voting process, and how we all need to form our opinions by ourselves, and not what we're taught. Please, don't forget to vote this year! This election could be crucial to the future of our nation.
