The Bus Stops Here

This morning, 19 Truman State University students and faculty members met in the Barnett Hall parking lot in anxious anticipation of an adventure to kick off the new year. 150 miles north in Des Moines, Iowa, the 2012 Republican Presidential Caucuses awaited.

Many of us participated in a special topics course, Politics in the Media: 2012, during the fall semester where we learned about campaign finance, caucus and primary procedures, and more. Excited to gain field experience after a semester of classroom learning, we toured the Iowa Events Center. Although most major news stations were not yet set up, it was exciting to see the area up close before we hit the campaign trail tomorrow. Here are a few photos of the Events Center. Although the Center is mostly empty it will soon be a bustling hub of media activity.

Main stage in the convention center where journalists will gather to work during the day.

Scaffolding for broadcast news teams (including Truman Media Network).

Bloggers work behind the scenes recording their own observations.

Check back later for updates as we travel around Iowa to various campaign events. Also follow our Twitter at @TMNPolitics for a live feed of information.