Editor’s Note: The Iowa State Daily is co-sponsoring the Iowa Caucus Education Workshop Monday night. 

This year, the Iowa Caucus will take place during the spring semester and opens up the opportunity for more ISU students to participate, but many said they don’t feel informed enough to get involved in the process. 

“All of students feel like their voice doesn’t make a difference,” said Alex Doser, senior in mathematics and president of Iowa State’s College Dems. “People are not willing to get involved if they can’t make a difference.”

James McCormick, professor of political science, said the last caucus occurred during a time when school wasn’t in session, which McCormick said deterred students from becoming involved. 

Nigel Hanson, junior in political science and president of Iowa State’s College Republicans, said students can be influential; they haven’t been in the past, but they should be.

“A lot of students don’t get the information they need,” Hanson said. “The very basic information: this is how to caucus, this is where to go, this is how to do it. It’s simple.”

Hanson said university students are getting bombarded from every angle with political messages attempting to convince them to sway a certain way, through YouTube, radio, TV and print advertisements, along with various political interest groups asking for their involvement.

Jacob Stout, senior in materials engineering, attended the Cy-Hawk tailgates where Republican presidential candidates mingled with tailgaters. Stout, who said he identifies as a conservative, said he came to the rally to hear what the candidates had to say but did not feel informed enough to get involved.

“A lot of times you hear things, but it’s always scripted. When you see them in person, it gives you a better read on the candidates,” Stout said. “I haven’t researched enough to have any good questions that are worth asking.”

Stout said he identifies as a conservative largely because of his parents’ influence and background. 

“My parents are conservative, and the area that I’m from is relatively conservative,” Stout said. “The main reason is I’m more of a fiscal conservative. My father grew up dirt poor and made himself into something and was able to provide through hard work, so I believe I’m a product of that hard work. That’s why I can say firsthand — or secondhand at least — you can do it if you put your mind to it.”

As for informing himself on candidates and their policies, Stout said he has taken some surveys and researched their policy. However, he said he still does not feel as informed as possible. 

“I’ve been interested, but i just haven’t gotten around to it,” Stout said. “I’ve been busy with school. I know it only takes an hour, but just finding the time to do that [is difficult].”

He said he sees peers’ opinions affected by the things they hear, not research. 

“That’s the concerning thing that the person who speaks the loudest a lot of the time will get their vote, which is not what this should be,” Stout said.

Students interested in learning how to caucus can attend the Iowa Caucus Education Workshop at 4 p.m. Monday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. The 75-minute event will include an overview of each party’s caucus and a mock caucus. 

Speakers at the event include Kim Reem, president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women; Andy McGuire, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party; Gwen Ecklund, past president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women; and Josie-Rae Bradley, the Caucus to Convention director for the Iowa Democratic Party.

Dave Price, WHO-TV’s political director who wrote a book on the Iowa Caucus, will provide opening remarks on the importance of the Iowa Caucuses.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the South Ballroom, The State Historical Society of Iowa’s “First in the Nation” traveling exhibit on the Iowa Caucuses will be displayed along with an excerpt from a documentary on the Iowa Caucuses produced by Iowa Public Television. 

Voter registration and a resource fair will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. in the South Ballroom. The Iowa State Daily will sponsor a table where attendees can meet engagement editor Maddy Arnold, politics editor Alex Hanson and Daily politics reporters.

Student groups representing candidates, including those supporting Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, John Kasich and Marco Rubio will also be at the event.

Being at the caucuses is incredibly influential, especially with the low turnout we have right now, Hanson said.

Over the years, students haven’t always had the chance to participate in the caucus. 

“I don’t think it’s going to magically make them start to do more,” Hanson said. “It will provide more opportunities for people working with the caucus to get more student involvement.”

Doser said there will be quite a few precincts that students will show up to and they’ll realize they’re the only people who are there. 

McCormick said political policy affects everybody’s life. 

“There’s not a day go by that you’re not affected by something going [on] in the political arena,” McCormick said. “When students realize the importance of politics in their lives, they’ll be more likely to want to participate.”

More candidates will try to rally students to caucus and organize students to participate this year, McCormick said.

“I think in general, it will come down to whether candidates utilize them,” said Evan Abramsky, junior in political science and president of Cyclones for Martin O’Malley. “Right now, students are just picking their candidates.

“[The caucus] could see much larger student participation if the students feel the candidates are working for their interests.”