Nashville, Tenn.

Madison, Miss.

Austin, Texas.

These were the surprising answers I got after I, an Iowa State Daily photographer, asked the classic follow-up question of “And where are you from?” for photo cutline information at the Ron Paul reception during the evening of the Iowa caucuses.

After his long day in Des Moines, Chris Goebel of Nashville spent that evening exhausted and lying on the floor in front of the projector in the hotel room where the reception was, keeping an eye out for whenever the Web site would update and show the latest Ron Paul percentages. He believed so strongly in Paul’s views, especially about strengthening the value of the American dollar, that he decided to travel to Iowa to show support and be present for the caucus results.

Joseph Davis and Dianna Majors first learned of Paul’s message late last summer and have supported him ever since, leading them to travel to Iowa to show their support during the culmination of all the candidates’ work and presences in Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. Davis came across information about Ron Paul first and then passed it along to Dianna and they realized that they felt strongly about Paul’s ideas and stances.

Decked out in a Ron Paul-themed ensemble consisting of a shirt and a bright orange hat with numerous Paul pins, Ronnie Gjemre cheered and clapped vigorously throughout the congressman’s wrap-up speech. Having followed his political endeavors since the early 1990s, Gjemre came all the way from Austin to show continued support for Paul. Not only has been an avid follower, but he claims to be one of the major players that got a substantially strong support group up in Austin.

It is easy for people to be skeptical, if not outright cynical, about politics in this country with all the attention it is given and the things the political process is blamed for. Feelings get hurt in conversations that get out of hand. Passionate views in opposite directions about the same issue can take their toll on the best of friendships. On a larger scale, extremist political ideologies lead to situations like Nazi Germany or events like Sept. 11.

On the other hand, politics can also bring about positive changes and results. It can help people to become more educated American citizens and further their involvement in the democratic process America takes so much pride in. With political issues as a tool, people can figure out what their opinions are in regards to situations that currently affect them either directly or indirectly. Finally, it is a vehicle that has the power to bring together people from all over the country in order to share a passion for common ideas and opinions.

It’s events like the caucuses that remind me of this.

– Eloisa Perez-Lozano is a graduate student in journalism and mass communication from Houston.