SLIDESHOW: See more photos from the Weber County Republican Convention
These were the words running through my mind as I walked up to a total stranger's house to sit for hours with a bunch of people I didn't know and talk about things I wasn't that familiar with. How much more nerve-racking could things get?
In March, I decided to get involved in politics and fulfill my civic duty just like my government teacher had advised me. I found myself attending my neighborhood Republican caucus. And frankly, I was terrified. Not only was I alone, but I also had just turned 18 and didn't have a lot of hands-on experience with all this political stuff.
I finally got enough courage to walk in and found a room filled with about 30 people, the majority a lot older than me. The meeting began and, to my surprise, people were very friendly and welcoming.
County and state delegate nominations were part of the agenda. This was what I had come for, to get a chance to fulfill my civic duty. I decided to run for county delegate and stepped up to give my spiel on why I would be a good delegate for my neighborhood. Many told me later how cool it was that I was getting involved in politics at such a young age. And my caucus sent me away as one of its county delegates.
The next weeks were filled with countless letters, e-mails, fliers, phone calls and knocks on my door. Candidates for county offices and their supporters contacted me every chance they could to try to convince me that they were the best for the job.
The Republican Weber County Convention was held in Ogden April 10. Unlike the caucus, I wasn't as nervous for this. I had done weeks of research to be sure I was well educated. As I signed in, I was given a white lanyard with my ID card. It was as if that lanyard and name tag had superpowers. People would see them and instantly approach me, offering me pens, notebooks, granola bars, T-shirts, cookies, milk, stickers, buttons, ice cream, even personalized M&Ms, all of which had some tie to a candidate.
I visited booths, talked to candidates and listened to people's concerns. It was weird bumping into someone and turning around to realize it was Rep. Rob Bishop, or finding myself walking past Gov. Gary Herbert and Sen. Bob Bennett.
At 10 a.m., the convention began with an invocation, the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance. I must admit that during the anthem and pledge, I did get chills. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many people who care about our country and remember our Founding Fathers.
We heard the candidates speak and things began to get messy. Some candidates were pointing fingers at others and talking about how government needed a change and only they could solve the problem and the person in office was ruining everything. The crowd got involved too; people were shouting at the candidates, telling them to get off stage.
I sat there amazed at how people were acting and a couple of times, I laughed a bit at how childish some reactions were. It was a breath of fresh air when a candidate just addressed their qualifications and why they would do a good job.
We then voted on our official ballots. Looking around, it was amazing to see how different everyone was. There were people in suits and dresses and others with long beards and ripped jeans. But this convention brought everyone together to vote for someone who would represent us.
We got the results after lunch, and the day ended with delegates meeting in their various districts to talk about concerns; in my district, those were education and cutting finances.
Seven hours after arriving, I finally left the convention. Thinking over the past month, I was very happy I got involved and I look forward to the next convention, two years from now.
My government teacher was right -- get involved in politics, it's your civic duty. But it's also interesting and kind of fun, plus you get free stuff, so you can't go wrong. Next time you hear about your neighborhood caucus, go. You'll never know what adventures will be in store, and maybe I'll see you there.
Kiersten Voorhees is a senior at Roy High School. E-mail her at voorheeski@gmail.com.
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