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Field trip to Iowa: Taylor HS govt. students stump with candidates

32 views · Published 2 February 2016 · 2:00 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2016 · News & Politics

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IOWA (Brad Underwood) - There is a group of students from the Tri-State taking in all of the Iowa campaign firsthand.

Nearly 30 seniors from Taylor High School have been in the "Hawkeye State" since Friday.

The students talked to many politicians. Of those they spoke with, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio really impressed the students with the way they interacted with the students.

But the students seem to be as busy as some of the candidates.

They were constantly on the road hitting as many events and restaurants, hoping to spend some time with as many presidential hopefuls as they could.

"This is the greatest country in the world. We need to teach that again. This is the greatest country," said Marco Rubio.

That is a belief of Marco Rubio's, but it's also a firsthand lesson students from Taylor High School are getting.

Brad Underwood caught up with them while they were bussing from a Donald Trump event to a Bernie Sanders rally.

"Just going to the different towns and seeing a lot. A lot of different views that people are very passionate about voice their opinions, I think it's really cool," said Teresa Rapking.

Not only have they been in the same rooms as Hillary Clinton, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio, but they have gotten to meet them too.

"It's so great to see all the candidates unfiltered by the media," said Emily Shuey. "To see them in person as a human. They crack jokes and they aren't always just about politics. That was a really great experience."

"I remember being really young and watching the elections on TV and all the debates," said Alex Hurges. "Just seeing it live, seeing the person live, shaking the person's hand, it's just surreal "

They've taken pictures with Clinton, Rubio and Carson and even had lunch with Rick Santorum.

It's that kind of access and an experience only possible in Iowa that has the government students so excited to be there.

"I just think it's a neat experience that we don't, as Ohioans, get to experience because we don't have caucus," said Alix Haydock. "We have primaries."

But more than the flash of cameras and large crowds, being able to form an opinion on the issues and the candidates may be the most rewarding part of the trip.

"Just hearing the different sides, it really has given me a different view of what each candidate has to say and what they want to do."

Security was also a big deal to the students.

The students said they went from a Clinton or Trump event, which both have a massive security presence to the other gatherings in smaller rooms with no security and access to have a private conversation with Marco Rubio or Ben Carson.

Either way, it's certainly a trip they'll remember on Election Day, and years after.

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