Iowa08: Archives

BECKY SCHLIKERMAN writes:
In my mind, the Iowa caucus is loud, chaotic, and full of excitement.

Although my fantasy may not be 100-percent accurate, my expectations are that this experience will be fast paced and a great learning experience in terms of deadline news writing.

As students, we don't always understand the news-acquisition process. We report on things, but mostly things that have already happened or will happen.

This time, however, it will be different.

We will be reporting the news as it is happening. As a journalist-in-training, that is an extremely exciting concept.

But with that, I expect this experience to be my first foray into the stress and adrenaline that a reporter experiences while writing an important story as it is happening.

This experience will not only give me an opportunity to see what professional reporters go through, but I expect to be re-energized and motivated by my Iowa experience.

I want to be a news reporter who covers important issues and events, and I can't think of anything that symbolizes my dream as much as the Iowa caucus.

In addition to being thrilled about the experience, I'm excited to have picked Mike Huckabee as the candidate I'm covering, because he is currently the Republican front runner in the Iowa polls, which means his campaign will be running at full speed trying to get as many last-minute votes possible.

On caucus night, I expect his supporters will be many, and they'll be making themselves heard.

Although having a prominent figure is slightly daunting, I expect to have a great story to tell.

Yet this experience will last way beyond caucus, this semester, and even this election. I expect this class to prepare me for my future career more than any other class possibly could have.

Becky Schlikerman is an undergraduate journalism student from Miami, Florida.

Becky Schlikerman writes:
As a journalist you want to write the news, not create the news. However, while in Iowa for the caucus I was interviewed by Channel 4, the local CBS affiliate for the Quad Cities.

I spent most of my day with State Senator David Hartsuch (R-Bettendorf), a Mike Huckabee supporter in Scott County. This county did not have a large Huckabee presence, so Hartsuch was an important person to connect with while covering the Huckabee campaign.

I was not the only journalist with this idea. A reporter from Channel 4 called in the afternoon and asked to interview Hartsuch about the Huckabee campaign in the area.

I tagged along and the reporter was interested in interviewing me about this journalism class, Covering the Iowa Caucuses.

As a reporter, I do a lot of interviews and critique sources' answers. I'm sure that's what this reporter did to me. She wanted to know about the class, my experience, and what I was learning.

I was nervous and uncomfortable with a camera in my face and a microphone with a CBS logo emblazoned on it. When the reporter asked me about my experience that day, two major Huckabee supporters were standing in the room, paying attention to my every word. The interview was uncomfortable for me, and the attention from the Huckabee campaign intensified the pressure.

When it came to my answers about the campaign and what I'd learned, I tried to be very neutral and not offensive or opinionated, because I did not want to influence my sources' opinion of me. I wanted to maintain an objective position with them. Hartsuch noticed and told me my answers were "diplomatic," which was exactly what I was attempting.

This experience shed some light on what my sources may face when I interview them, and gave me a different perspective on the situation. Being on the other side of the table was a learning experience that taught me to be more sensitive when interviewing sources. After all, there may be factors I don't take into consideration when conducting the interview.

Becky Schlikerman is an undergraduate journalism major from Miami, Florida.

BECKY SCHLIKERMAN writes:
The Iowa caucus sounds like a singular event. When one hears about it, it may seem like an event the entire state attends at the same place. Although that is a ridiculous thought, since the caucus wasn't a part of my life before, I never really gave much thought to the process.

Attending the caucus, however, taught me a lot about the process, which is complicated. And it also taught me how important it is for Iowans.

The Republicans and Democrats caucus separately, and each party has its own way of caucusing. While the Democrats caucus with a public showing of support, the Republicans cast a secret ballot. There are other differences, but those are the most obvious ones. There are 99 counties throughout the state, and each county is broken down into precincts. There are 1,781 precincts in Iowa.

I attended a Republican caucus in Scott County in the Quad Cities. There were about 200 people there. Some were displaying their support for a candidate with stickers and signs, but most were not.

The registered voters were given a handmade packet of pieces of differently colored papers for caucus-goers to write down which candidate they supported. Before people voted, one supporter for each candidate spoke on behalf of him.

People were abuzz with excitement, especially the first-time caucus-goers I spoke with.

One 18-year-old high school student, who was supporting Mitt Romney, was eager to be a part of what he considered to be an important process.

Similarly, another 18-year-old first-time participant thought supporting John McCain was an important duty because of his firm stance on the Iraq war. Her brother, she said, was a soldier fighting in Iraq.

While reading the news stories, including mine, that reported percentages and final numbers, one may forget that each vouch of support is more than just a number. Some are deeply personal. Whether the so-called vote is cast as a rite of passage or because of support for a relative, each one is more than just a number. It is a deeply personal decision.

Becky Schlikerman is an undergraduate journalism student from Miami, Florida.