The below freezing temperatures in New Hampshire did not stop members of the Terps for Hillary student group from canvassing and supporting their candidate during the New Hampshire primaries.
Some members of Terps for Hillary, a student group started in fall 2014, spent Feb. 5 to 7 supporting Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the New Hampshire primaries.
Senior Allyson Winburn said the goal of that weekend in New Hampshire was to build excitement and let people know that Clinton was in town. The primaries were “an awesome opportunity to get out to the polls and make a big difference, so it was just to build excitement and get as many people as we could, regardless of who they were voting for,” said Winburn, a government and politics major.
The group also canvassed via knocking on doors and made sure people were aware of their polling places and had the appropriate transportation, regardless of whom they were voting for, said Samara Cohen, a senior majoring in Spanish language, literature and cultures and government and politics.
“Polls have been showing that [Clinton’s] been closing the gap,” Cohen said. “I don’t think we expected her to win New Hampshire, and I don’t think it’s that important, but anything we can do to help let people know what she stands for, and everything that she’s accomplished.”
Other universities in the DMV area such as George Mason, American University, Georgetown and George Washington University also sent student supporters.
However, not all the group’s work was necessarily meant to be persuasive toward Clinton, said Ami Kutzen a junior majoring in American studies.
“When we were canvassing, it was less about trying to convince people to vote for one candidate or the other, and more about making sure the people who already expressed interest in voting for [former] Secretary Clinton were actually going to vote,” Kutzen said.
In addition to canvassing, the group also called Clinton supporters to remind them of an upcoming rally.
“We went and phone banked before one of the rallies that [Clinton] spoke at, [which was] at a high school up there and just called everyone to remind them of the event and let them know that there was still room, if they wanted to come out,” Kutzen said.
Winburn and Cohen are the co-presidents of Terps for Hillary, but as graduating seniors, they hope to attract as many new members as possible this coming semester, Cohen said. The group also would like to collaborate with Terps For Bernie.
“[Terps for Bernie] wanted to host a debate, but we weren’t super supportive of it because … I’m not really here to argue with people who support Bernie Sanders, we’re here to support Hillary Clinton,” Cohen said.
Four members of Terps for Hillary, including Kutzen, will also travel to South Carolina this upcoming weekend for the South Carolina primaries.