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What It’s Like To Attend A Bernie Sanders Not-Rally

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Gettysburg chapter.

For technicalities’ sake, Bernie Sanders’ visit to Gettysburg College (with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard) was a Town Hall Meeting.  All of the other candidates have been invited to speak on campus.  For all intents and purposes, the event was a rally.  

First of all, obtaining a press pass is a stressful endeavour.  

Stressful, but totally worth it.

The process gets pretty chaotic when you have mostly volunteers running an event.  

Secret Service is intimidating.  Also, some may make you wonder if it is a requirement to be gorgeous to become an agent?

Also, this man may be Joe from The Princess Diaries.  

There will be a lot of waiting.  

While you wait, the crowd will get antsy. There will be cheers, particularly when cups of water and a microphone are brought on stage, as well as when signs are distributed.  

You’ll make friends with some of your fellow journalists.  Some of them will hit you with equipment and be pretty darn mean.  

Others are simply brilliant and thought to bring plenty of ibuprofen.  

You’ll learn some disappointing stuff, like behind-the-scenes info about dishonourably charged veterans and PTSD.  

Luckily, the crowd seemed to recognize the issue.  Here, a student tips his hat to veteran Tyson Manker.  

Private education costs are skirted over, considering the event is held at a private school.  

Secret Service agents tell you to move, you move.  Even if moving means that the guys with fancy cameras can sit on the ground doing nothing while you suffer back a few feet with an iPod, despite having the same press credentials.  *no bitterness*

Whatever your affiliation, your voice will be heard.  

Tall people get in the way of shaking Bernie’s hand, taking a selfie with him, and/or hugging him.  

Bernie’s super inspiring.  

Juliette Sebock, Founder: Jules founded the Gettysburg College chapter of Her Campus in Fall 2015 and served as Campus Correspondent until graduating in Spring 2018. Juliette graduated from Gettysburg College in 2018 with an English major and History/Civil War Era Studies/Public History triple minors. In addition to HC, she was a member of the Spring 2017 class of Advanced Studies in England and of various organizations including Eta Sigma Phi, Dance Ensemble, and Poetry Circle. She has published a poetry chapbook titled Mistakes Were Made, available on Amazon and Goodreads, and she has poems forthcoming in several literary magazines. She is also the editor-in-chief of Nightingale & Sparrow Magazine and runs the lifestyle blog, For the Sake of Good Taste. For more information, visit https://juliettesebock.com.