A Glimpse of the Campaign Trail: a Visiting Fulbright Student Experiences a Presidential Campaign Rally

Since I arrived in the United States in December 2015, the upcoming presidential election has been the hot issue discussed among my university professors and classmates.  As a result, I have followed most of the Republican and Democratic debates. For me, it is interesting to hear what people think about the different candidates and also to learn which candidate they think will be nominated from each party.

Through one of my classmate’s Facebook pages, I learned that Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate, would be holding a rally in Denver on February 13. Although I have no clear support for any of the candidates, I thought it would be interesting to see one of the possible future US presidents. Because the event was free and open to the public, my friends and I decided to go!

There were thousands of people in the rally, all of them very enthusiastic and most of them wearing Bernie shirts and badges. We waited in the long queues for hours before we were allowed into the event hall. It was certainly an exciting moment when Senator Sanders finally entered the stage. Most of the people immediately took out their mobile phones and cameras, as did I. I even took a selfie with Jane O’Meara-Sanders, Senator Sanders’ wife!

Taking part in this rally was a great chance for me to have a closer look at the US presidential campaigns. Through my studies at the University of Denver, I have learned that it is important to be aware of political events. Of the many lessons that I learned, one of the most important is how important effective public speaking is to a presidential campaign. In addition, I also learned how these rallies are organized and how many of the events are organized by volunteers. I give the Fulbright Program credit for giving me the chance to take part in one of the most observed and watched presidential elections in the world.

 Nabeel outside of the Colorado Convention Center

Nabeel is pursuing an M.A. in International Security at the University of Denver. After graduating, he plans to use his education to improve the political and security situation in his home country, Yemen.