(Editor’s Note: Sara Kirkpatrick, and her roommate/best friend Kate Greenwell attended the Bernie Sanders rally at CSU last month, and collaborated on this article to talk about their experience and share their opinion of why Sanders is their candidate of choice. We know Bernie himself was supposed to be in Laramie tonight; and we hoped this piece would inspire those who might have attended to still feel the BERN despite the snowy weather.)Kate: I never pictured my Sunday ending with shaking the hand of presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders. “Hi, this is my roommate Sara Kirkpatrick, we are so excited to meet you!” The first words said to Senator Sanders about me.
Sara: At least Kate was able to think of something to say while I stood there starstruck. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be a journalist covering his presidency and he’ll remember the two college girls with wide eyes and bright futures.
Road Trip to Bernie
It all started with our decision to go to Chipotle for lunch. Our group of four was busy jamming in the car on the way down to Fort Collins when I realized I was hungry. The plan was: get some lunch, then head over to the CSU arena where the rally would be held. The doors didn’t open until 4, and we got into town around 1:30, so we figured we had plenty of time. Kate pulled into the tiny Chipotle parking lot, but we couldn’t find an open spot. “Let’s go see how close the arena is and we can walk over to get food,” she suggested. We found the arena and that’s when we saw the line. People were already sitting in lawn chairs waiting to see the candidate they stood behind. We parked the car and headed down to the end of the line. If we had decided to eat first we would have never got the spot we did.
Waiting for 3 Hours, Then 3 More
Upon entering the building we were shoved into uniform lines to be thoroughly search by the secret service. The poor lady next to us juggling a baby, a stroller, and coffee was escorted to the back, just in case her stroller had a BOMB on it. Yes, the secret service is terrified a woman would strap a bomb to her baby. After a full body pat down we headed down to the floor of the arena and Kate saw the spot. And no one else would get in the way of her taking it. Maneuvering our way around the large legs of a standing light we stood right up against the fencing surrounding the stage. Many may think waiting in line for 3 hours and then waiting another 3 inside the arena holding down our spot is borderline insane. Surprisingly, I have no regrets. All I could think about was the story I’d be able to tell my kids someday. This was history in the making and I was there for it.
Kate; the Special One
Now my roommate, Kate, is a longtime Bernie fan. She has always been very involved with and educated in politics. She is a political science and secondary education major, and wants to teach government classes in Colorado. I have honestly learned most of what I know through her. So I’m going to let her take over and explain all of the lovely things I don’t know about Bernie Sander’s policies. But before I do, I’d like to mention one of my favorite parts about the rally. Bernie had just announced that the only way we could make a change is if the citizens fight for it. Goosebumps popped up on my arms as I heard the crowd roar. They started stomping their feet and I could feel the ground shake beneath me. I realized we really did have power. A power that so many had tried to take away from us by saying “you’re too young,” or “that’s too crazy,” and “stop dreaming.” When our country’s political system is surrounded by such negativity and skepticism it’s easy to feel helpless. So when I saw an arena full of people who still cared about the fate of future generations, people who were ready to stand up for their beliefs, I felt inspired. So I am proud to say on Election Day, I will be exercising my right to vote.
Bernie Sanders
Kate: You know Sara has to be the absolute best friend in the whole world considering the fact that she doesn’t look at me differently even after I cried while meeting Bernie Sanders. With my face beet red and my whole body shaking, I grabbed Bernie’s hand and shoved it into Sara’s. “Bernie, this is my roommate Sara! We are so excited to meet you, can we take a picture with you?!” I am spewing all of this as if he has been my friend for ages. It was embarrassing to say the least. But a moment that I will never forget. A hug from his wife and a handshake from him solidified it all.
So Why Bernie?
Some say Bernie is too over the top. He’s an “irrational socialist,” they say, “he wants everything to be free.” But that could be the farthest thing from the truth. Bernard Sanders was born in Brooklyn, as you could plainly tell. He has since moved to Vermont and established himself as a person of importance there. Bernie began at a young age defending his beliefs. He has been arrested and belittled for his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Many presidential candidates can say they represent the African American community, but Bernie has shown his support from the start; like when he marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and his allies.
Bernie has never cowered from his passions. His campaign has gained momentum through a grassroots movement. Do you know how you can tell? His average donation is a mere $27.00. Yet he raised over $40 million in February alone. Here are some things he discussed at the rally we attended.
Free Tuition
I love the way Bernie explained this concept to us at his rally. When our grandparents, and even our parents, were going to school, they were maybe receiving their high school diploma. But now decades later, a high school diploma is almost obsolete. A college degree is the equivalent of their high school diploma. Education is the key to change. It must be affordable. Students should not be held back by hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of debt for the rest of their lives just to get a decent education.
Institutionalized Racism
Yes I understand. You think racism doesn’t exist because there was one person of color in your town and they seemed to get along just fine. Newsflash! Racism is one of the most prominent underlying epidemics facing us today. Bernie has explained and time and time again how important it is to reform our broken criminal justice system. It is not a “cultural problem,” it is not “just how they are.” Our system prays on the weak and the marginalized. Bernie intends to reform it from the ground up. It is about time that equal finally means equal.
Wall Street
So you might be thinking, “Okay. banking, money or something. I could care less.” Actually, Wall Street is one of the biggest reasons you should listen to Bernie. We live in a political system where politicians are paid thousands of dollars just to represent a special interest group. They don’t care what you or any of their other constituents have to say. They are bought by big money. But not Bernie. As I mentioned before, Bernie’s campaign is a grassroots movement. They started from the bottom…and now they’re here (You knew I had to make the joke eventually).
So…Why Should You Care?
1. You are an intelligent person with an important decision ahead (Picking the next President is a big deal!)
2. Millennials surpass baby boomers. Our generation must be loud and show that we have a voice!
3. You aren’t your parents. Trust me. I am speaking from experience. You have to live with your choices, not them.
4. I care about your future. I hope you do too.
Where Do You Go From Here?
1. Talk about the issues that concern you! Whether it’s in class, online, to friends, to strangers. Just voice your opinion.
2. Get involved your community and campus organizations. They would love the extra help!
3. Go vote! Please, you beautiful human being. Just do it!
§ For my lovely Wyomingites that are also Feeling the Bern now, make sure you are registered as a democrat by this Friday, March 25th. And I am telling you from experience, just go to the courthouse. It seriously takes like 2 seconds.
§ Important: On Saturday, April 9th at 11am, at the Albany County Fairgrounds, the Albany County Democrat Caucus will be held. Just show up and they will tell you exactly what to do! Carpool, bike, run, or teleport there, just make it.
4. Now go start a REVOLUTION!