This morning, I stood outside the doors of the North End Montessori School with a Hillary for New Hampshire sign in hand. I held the sign in front of my face in attempt to block the cold wind and tried to muster up the enthusiasm to welcome the hundreds of volunteers that were arriving. Thankfully, before I got too cold, I was called into the school gymnasium where everyone was gathered, clipboards in hand, preparing to canvas. The regional campaign supervisor led me to the front of the room, where I was instructed to stand with my sign. As I stood there and looked out into the crowd, I noticed a sense of restlessness, as the volunteers waited to hear the introductory remarks of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. I, too, was feeling a mix of restlessness and discouragement, as I thought of the thirty or more houses I had to visit. Was it worth the two hours I would spend in the cold, if only a few people answer their door? Then, as Mayor Walsh stood in front of me and began his introductory address, I started to sense that something big was about to happen. Cameramen started to gather in front of the crowed, and I could hear whispers being exchanged by the campaign organizers standing beside me. A few minutes later, Secret Service was standing by my side, and Secretary Clinton entered the room. Her hot pink pant suit stood out against the mass of dark winter coats, and as she walked in front of the crowd, the mood quickly shifted from restless to ecstatic. After she gave her words of encouragement and expressed her sincerest gratitude for the work of every volunteer, everyone headed out to canvas with a newfound enthusiasm. Seeing the woman we are fighting for gave us more than enough motivation to face the cold again.
-Lindsay Mattei is a sophomore Economics major from Grand Rapids, MN. She is in New Hampshire as part of a St. Olaf political science class studying the presidential election.
