Student Fellows are one of the pillars of the CEEP approach to campus civic engagement. Having fellows make a direct connection with a larger audience is a natural step. So it’s appropriate that just days before the Iowa Caucus, we put a fellow-centered spin on election coverage. Elise Sturgeon and Jocelyn Roof, Fellows at Simpson College and the University of Iowa, respectively, each spent a day pulling off an takeover of the CEEP Instagram account. These are the first in a series of planned student social media takeovers.    

Elise, a sophomore Political Science and Applied Philosophy major, spent her day breaking down the process of how a caucus works, and answered an audience Q&A. Using Instagram stories, she answered questions surrounding logistics, such as where to caucus, what candidate viability means, and how results are tallied. She also answered the larger questions, mainly concerning why caucuses matter, and why students should participate. 

    In the evening, Simpson College held their second annual Mock Caucus, which gave students an excellent preview into the process of caucusing, while also being a way to get students excited about the official caucuses. Elise filmed step-by-step coverage, giving future caucus participants a look into the process, and voters from primary states perspective on a different type of voting procedure.

    Jocelyn, a junior at the University of Iowa studying Sociology and Political Science, also covered a mock caucus at her university. Mock caucuses are both informational and can involve a lot of fun, and Jocelyn made sure to capture the whole picture. The mock caucus was widely attended and featured statements from local party members. 

Both Fellows’ coverage displayed excitement and energy from mock caucus goers, who were preparing to go to caucuses the following Monday. CEEP’s Fellow takeovers gave on the ground insight to a larger audience, and future fellows are looking forward to the opportunity to design their own takeovers.