Editorial
Student votes impact individual life plans
October 30, 2008
Participating in an election, whether local or national, is one of the most important things that college students can do for their own futures.
Voting allows students to have a say in what direction the country is heading.
While students can get involved with politics on a family and party basis, they can also look past their own political affiliations, or those of their families, to figure out where different candidates stand on the issues that affect them most personally, now and in the near future when they graduate.
Voting, for students, is not merely about politics. It is also about asserting ourselves as individuals-going beyond the ideas we were brought up with and beginning to shape our own. This new American generation can do more then simply repeat what it was told by an older one. It can get involved and informed, and not just over the Internet.
At college students are finally out from under the veil of their parents influence. Its time to make decisions on your own positions as an indivudal.
Students need to know what kind of economy they will be entering when they graduate and what kind of jobs will be available. Policies on education funding, financial aid, and auto and health insurance are pressing concerns for students.
They can also go beyond federal matters and express their views on legislative referendums. One example is the referendum dealing with state health care coverage on Tuesday’s ballot. The results determine whether the legislature will guarantee health care coverage to all Wisconsin residents.
Students can also focus on candidates’ positions on educational funding and financial aid. Financial aid is experiencing a crunch because of the weakened state of the economy. Tuition is expected to rise as a result. Research the candidates and determine where they stand on educational funding and vote to influence your future.
The Student Senate pre-registered a record numbers of voters this semester. The pre-registration is a good start, but now the students have to follow through with their obligation and vote Nov. 4.