The last place I would expect to have an epiphany would be Derry, N.H. As a self-described city-slicker, who shudders to think about not living within a five-mile radius of a Starbucks, this quaint town provided some unfamiliar surroundings. Yet here I was, sitting in a cramped, crowded campaign office, soaked from spending hours in the rain, wondering when I could come back.

This past weekend, I joined several other area college students, alongside dozens of New Hampshire residents, and canvassed neighborhoods for a presidential candidate – and some local politicians – by going door-to-door to build support for their respective campaigns. As a first-timer to campaigning, what impressed me most was the diversity of the turnout: From Emerson to MIT, from young to old, from black to white, no one fit an archetype.

However, I was slightly disappointed by Northeastern’s low representation. Out of the 40 or so students who boarded buses from Boston to New Hampshire, only two were from Northeastern, myself included. Yet, I know he and I are not the only two students who are dissatisfied with how the last eight years have turned out. Regardless of whether you swing right, left or somewhere in between, we can agree that this election is important. We’ve seen the polls, we’ve heard the pundits and we know that many Americans are disappointed in our country’s direction.

Grassroots political campaigning by volunteers provides an opportunity to reach new voters and sway opinions that tune out to newscasts and the spin machines. Further, this is our chance to buck the stereotype that paints our generation as apathetic and indifferent. The more we do and say to support our candidates, the better chance we have of influencing not only the outcome of an election, but the policy shaped while the winner is in office.

Who I was supporting is of little consequence. This isn’t a political piece aimed at espousing the virtues and policies of one candidate instead of the other. What matters more is simply that I was there. Whether it’s a few hours of volunteering at a phone bank, or a few days of canvassing in a swing state, your contribution to the campaigns of your candidates has an impact on who will win Nov. 4 and where our country will be headed every day after.

In an election cycle where so much is at stake, with two candidates who have starkly different views of the world, you don’t want to wake up on the morning of Nov. 5, find a result you don’t like and wish you did more.

– Jeff Miranda is a junior journalism major and a member of The News staff.