Over the course of the last two weeks, I have spent a total of 16 hours waiting for and attending presidential rallies. It seems like a lot of time, doesn’t it? It is a lot of time, but for me, it was time well spent.
It’s an exciting moment to be a college student in Pittsburgh. It’s an exciting election, not only for me because it is the first time I am eligible to vote, but for all Americans. It really feels like a turning point. We’ve got a socialist, a businessman, even a woman!
As soon as I heard that Bernie Sanders would be walking distance from my campus, I knew I had to go. Ever since I started following politics I’ve considered myself a Democrat, and Sanders is an exciting candidate for the Democratic Party. As a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist and an Independent senator, Sanders is drawing a new crowd into politics.
On Thursday, March 31, Senator Sanders brought his political revolution to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. His supporters were camped out as early as 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday. I arrived with three of my friends around 3 a.m. Everyone in line was extremely friendly, very few people cut the line and food and drinks were shared. Everyone was just excited to see Sanders. Not surprisingly, the majority of the crowd was college students.
The senator from Vermont spoke about fair trade deals, Wall Street corruption, raising the minimum wage and making all public colleges and universities tuition-free. And the crowd went wild. The energy at this rally was high despite it being so early in the morning.
About a week later on Wednesday, April 6, I made the pilgrimage to Carnegie Mellon University to see Secretary Hillary Clinton—the woman, herself. This rally, in the evening, drew some different demographics. Although there were still many college students, there were also many children and middle-aged people. Secretary Clinton focused her speech on “breaking down barriers.” She spoke about her track record fighting for women and families. Specifically, paid family-leave and education for all Americans. The crowd still went wild, but they were much more reserved than the attendees of the Sanders rally.
So what did I learn from these rallies? People are passionate about what they believe. Both Sanders, Clinton and their supporters believe that their ideas are the best for our country. It’s hard to know what candidate will be the best choice for our country. You just have to follow your head and your heart and hope that whoever enters office will unite our country and work for the good of the people.
