The presidential election Nov. 8 will be the first in which many Northwood students will be able to vote.
“This is a very important election,” junior Kristian Eanes said. “Part of me feels like my vote probably wouldn’t make that much of a difference, but if a lot of us felt that way, then nothing would get done.”
From Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump, the candidates fall on both ends of the political spectrum. With so many options, Eanes says it’s helpful for young voters to be informed about important policies.
For senior Jordan Perez, a key issue is foreign affairs.
“With stuff that has been going on with Syria, ISIS, and China and everything else it is really important,” senior Jordan Perez said. “A lot of people don’t agree with Obama with helping [other countries], but a lot of people want to help.”
Social studies teacher Sara Keever says that a lot has changed since she started voting.
“You have instant, constant information from various sources,” Keever said. “I had to rely on the major news sources like TV and print media, but in college you started to see more points of view from various sources on the Internet, so I think that’s a big difference.”
Eanes says this access to quick information can have a negative effect.
“I see so much ignorance on Twitter, and it’s because people don’t know that much about the candidates and what the candidates are really for,” Eanes said. “It’s very important to stay updated. [People who are not informed] start getting really influenced by other people’s viewpoints.”
Keever says that social media and the 24-hour news cycle does not necessarily make it easy for voters to make an educated decision.
“It just seems really confusing,” Keever said.
Despite this, Keever still anticipates the results of the election.
“I am just waiting to see what is going to happen and how [the election] is going to play out in the end,” Keever said.
– By Chloe Gruesbeck