Students should make an effort to vote

With the presidential election approaching on Nov. 6, students are surrounded by signs and reminders to vote. For a university community, it is concerning that many have not made plans to mail in an absentee ballot or vote in the first place. When it comes to politics, aside from those who choose to study the subject and a select few, many 18 to 24-year-olds seem to have a general apathetic attitude toward the upcoming election. Bottom line: people get sucked up in surface-level issues rather than more complicated, yet important issues when it comes to the presidential election. 

Nowadays, students look forward to the drinking games spinning off of the debate, like the few the Huffington Post offers, than actually taking it seriously. An increasing number of students overlook their political surroundings and focus on the editorialized and easily digestible aspects of the news. Some people are more aware of Romney’s threat to cut off Big Bird’s funding and of Obama’s facial expressions during the debate than the content. 

Furthermore, some members of our generation develop their political opinions solely based on the influence of their parents, disregarding outside information. Also, some members of our generation do not  follow politics because the campaign focuses on fact-checking every line a politician says. People who are not familiar with the candidates’ political platforms may have a difficult time catching up with the news. Debates have turned into a he-said-she-said competition, making it difficult for newcomers to follow. 

Students need to be more aware of politics outside of the surface level. Political involvement entails understanding the issues at hand and making informed decisions. Above all, making it to the polls is a very simple act, yet some students do not seem concerned to make arrangements to vote in this upcoming election. Students should recognize their power as members of the academic elite and make an effort to follow the election.