Iowa - Day 1

A lot of people say that college students don't care about politics. Watching forty students from Xavier University loading a bus at 5:45 am, I find that very hard to believe. Frost covers car windows and everyone's breath is clearly visible in the air. The sun has not yet begun to rise, but spirits are high as the students prepare for the nine hour bus ride that lies ahead.
After an exciting start, most sleep during the first leg of the trip. We stop every few hours to stretch our legs and/or grab a bite to eat. Political movies entertain as the day progresses - American President plays through Indiana. Thank you for Smoking and Primary Colors seem to shorten our drive through Illinois and Iowa.

Republicans and Democrats alike await the excitement that is to come. On the GOP side, Xavier students will be working for Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Ron Paul. Other students will work for Democratic candidates John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Chris Dodd.
We arrive at the hotel around 4:00pm central time (5:00 eastern) and settle into the Airport Hampton in Des Moines. After unloading our belongings and freshening up, everyone gathers in the lobby to depart to their respectful campaigns. However...due to the hostage situation in Hillary Clinton's New Hampshire campaign headquarters, all of her Iowa headquarters and events were cancelled.

More to come in the next few days...

- Kevin