This past week was finals week at my college, but it also was the last full week of campaigning before the New York State Primary. This means that most of the candidates have been traveling throughout New York, trying to reach as many voters as possible and spread their messages before the primary on April 19. Personally, I have been feeling the Bern since mid-summer of 2015. Naturally, when I heard he was coming to locations near me, I felt the need to see Bernie, the man whom I consider to be a hero in American politics (whether he wins or not). Although it was finals week, I decided that I would go see Bernie, because why study for Evolution when you can participate in the political revolution, am I right?

My adventure to see Bernie started on Monday morning. He was coming to the city of Binghamton, which is an hour away from my college. A group of my friends and I left at 8:30 a.m. after a few of us ended our shifts at Starbucks (yes, I do have a job and yes, I still feel the Bern). However, on our way to the venue we had friends texting us to tell us that the turnout was huge! When we showed up at the arena, we quickly realized that we would not be getting in to hear him speak as there was an overflow crowd of at least 500 people.

This did not stop us though. As suggested by a kind security guard, we searched for the barricades we presumed Bernie would leave from. A crowd followed and for the next hour or so we waited in the hope of at least seeing the vehicle in which Bernie would be riding. It was kind of cold and it rained, but the Bern kept our spirits up and nothing would keep us away from seeing our hero.

Finally, we saw vehicles leaving the venue and were moved away from the road and onto the sidewalk. As the cars drove by, our crowd cheered and Bernie rolled down his window to wave! Seeing his hand was probably one of the top 10 moments of my life up to that point. Here's a video of my reaction:

Once we accomplished our goal of seeing Bernie, we left the venue with around 7,000-8,000 other people who were all feeling the Bern along with us. The vibes around the town were more positive and welcoming than I can remember feeling at any point in my life.

This did not end our adventure to see Bernie though. We heard that he would be in Syracuse the following day and decided that the majority of us would, once again, try to see him as we didn't have finals that day. The next morning we left our school at 6:30 a.m. to make sure that we would get into the Syracuse event.

When we arrived, there were many people in line, but it was clear that we were going to get in! The environment was super friendly and we talked with the other people in line. One lady next to us, who had spent the weekend knocking on doors to spread Bernie's message, actually offered everyone in our section of the line snacks, so we would be able to endure waiting in line until 2:30 p.m., when he was scheduled to speak. As we waited, the line grew longer and longer, which was absolutely fantastic. However, the true size and diversity of the crowd could not be seen until we all entered the venue, around 11:00 a.m.

My group and I got a spot in the crowd about four people back from the podium where Bernie would speak. We were right next to a section marked off for the elderly and people with physical disabilities. As the rest of the line started filling the building, which can hold upwards of 8,000-10,000 people, to capacity, I really began to see how appealing Bernie is to individuals from many walks of life.

From my position in the crowd I saw many different people.

I saw veterans.

I saw art students.

I saw people from Syracuse.

I saw other Central New Yorkers.

I saw people who know that Bernie's fight is for everyone, regardless of location or occupation.

I saw LGBT+ community members.

I saw lovers of the Earth.

I saw a girl who support "Bernard Sanders" for president.

I saw people who support small business over the greed of Wall Street.

I saw a person who recognizes that Bernie and Jesus are both cool dudes, but only one really has the power to save America.

I saw this person, who is really feeling the political revolution.

I even saw some conservative Berners in the crowd.

I saw this woman, who gets Bernie like Bernie gets her.

There were thousands of people, all there to feel the Bern.

However, the real fun started around 1:00 p.m., when a local Syracuse musician, Joe Driscoll, came on stage. He talked about how Bernie's message regarding income inequality made him feel obligated to get involved with the campaign and with the political process, unlike any other politician. He then went on to sing about our inadequate minimum wage and the harmful effects of fracking on our water supply. His songs were an interesting way of promoting the ideas that Bernie supports.

After he finished, an actor and actress came on stage to show their support of Bernie. The first to speak was Kendrick Sampson, who is also a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. He spoke of his experience endorsing the BLM protestors through his online platform and about how he came to be a part of Bernie Sanders campaign. He noted that Bernie has been supporting the social ideas that are currently mainstream for decades.

The next to speak was Rosario Dawson, an actress. She spoke a clear and powerful message about our suppressed democracy. She talked about how her own experiences and thoughts, as a minority woman, are disregarded by the mainstream media, which does not view Bernie's campaign for presidency as legitimate. The media problem, however, was not the only problem she brought up. She also noted that money in politics is allowing some individuals to have more say in government than others, which makes it not a true democracy. The power of these words only became stronger a few days later, when she was arrested for protesting about the corruption within our government in Washington, D.C., with other activists.

Once Rosario finished her inspiring speech, she introduced the guy that we all came to see, Bernie Sanders! As he walked to the podium the crowd broke out into cheers. "Bernie, Bernie, Bernie" and "Feel the Bern! Feel the Bern!" chants filled the room. The first part of his speech highlighted the differences between himself and Hillary Clinton. Most of which included the fact that he not only "talks the talk," but he also "walks the walk." He is striving to win the election without PAC money, as he feels that that is the only way to truly fight money in politics. He is a bold leader who will lead our country in the correct direction, rather than succumb to voters' opinions to remain popular.

After making this distinction, Bernie continued to dive into his opinions on many different issues. He brought up the vast amount of income inequality in our country and his plan to fight for worker's rights. He pushed his ideas of a $15/hour minimum wage and higher tax rates for the wealthy. His largest goal is clear: to make an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest individuals.

He continued on, talking about our corrupt criminal justice system, which will create a lifetime of punishment for a teenager with a marijuana possession charge. Along with this, he noted that the cycle that this system creates often leads to these individuals not getting jobs in the future.

He brought up the massive amount of student debt that exists within our country. His view is that if we are going to treat a college education the same way we treated a high school education many years ago, then we need to make it affordable, just as we do with K-12 schooling. One particularly interesting fact that he mentioned was that years ago, free college education was a reality and that it is currently a reality in many other successful countries.

Along with all these other topics he talked about healthcare expansion to give everyone coverage since under our current system we pay way too much. A short, yet powerful, part of his speech was about the issue of climate change and the current need for a push towards renewable energy sources. He also spoke of the social security problem in America and why we must continue expanding support for the elderly in our country.

Each of these different issues means something to Bernie and he will continue supporting them. However, one of the largest points in his speech involved him making an example of the Republican front runner, Donald Trump. He made it clear multiple times that Trump will not be the next president of the United States, which resulted in cheers from the audience. Bernie told everyone that the reason why Trump can never win is that we all know, deep down, that love always trumps hate.

The experience of seeing Bernie Sanders speak in person was truly incredible. I feel extremely fortunate for being able to take part in the political revolution. I encourage anyone reading this to do your own part and spread Bernie's message. Remember to vote in your state's primary or caucus, so that Bernie will make it to the general election.