Are Students Voting this Year?

With Barack Obama winning the majority of student votes back in 2008, many are left wondering if the young population will carry as much weight in this year's presidential election.

It is no secret that students are often criticised over their lack of interest in all things politics so it was a surprise to many when studies showed that the number of students who voted in the last election had been higher than ever. With issues such as financial aid, tuition fees and youth unemployment being more prevalent than ever, will the young once again vote in their masses to get their voices heard?

Karen Jenson, 25, Philosophy

CCSU student, Karen Jenson who was one of the majority that voted for Obama in 2008 ,explained why this year will be a different story for her. “I have a legal inability to vote this year. It's unfortunate because neither me or my family live in Middletown town any more and I kind of missed the ball when it came to switching my voter registration to New Britain because of school work.” The 25 year-old went on to explain that her vote would’ve alternatively been casted elsewhere if she were able to vote. “I would’ve voted 3^rd party because I don't particularly like the Democrats or Republicans or the policies they stand for. I feel like Obama has done some things I would agree with but he's also not done things that I feel he should have.”

Azrielle Steele, 24, History 

Issues with practicality seemed to be a running theme when it came to whether students at CCSU voted this year or not. 24-year-old Azrielle Steele, who is registered in her home town of Greenwhich, said it was too far for her to make a trip back home to vote. “I would’ve voted for Obama and I feel that he will once again get the studentvote because he actually cares and wouldn’t take away tuition like Romney.” She went on to add, “I'm both excited and scared for the results, scared because Romney might win and that won't be good for the country and especially young people.”

Nineteen year old student, Amanda Keator also stated that her reason for not voting was down to lack of time. “I'm registered to vote in my home town of Milford but I didn't manage to vote today because I had a lot of much school work. To be honest I haven’t been able to pay as much attention as I should've because I’m always busy doing something, if I’m not working, I’m doing extracurricular activities.” Keator still maintains that she would've voted for Obama. “I think students will also mostly vote for him because from what I believe he's advocating for lower tuition so it gives students with less money more opportunity.”

Amanda Keator, 19, Secondary English

However, New Haven resident Amber Reed made the intentional decision not to vote. “I didn't register because this year I don’t agree with the candidates that we have to choose from,” she clarified. “ feel like with Mitt Romney everybody only sees him as this rich white guy that’s another Bush and with Obama nobody’s going to respect him because he tries so hard to do all these things to help the economy but people are just focused on things like his birth certificate and they just don’t respect him. Both candidates won’t be respected either way so their policies just aren’t going to be passed or they’re going to pass the wrong policies to impress the right people.”

Amber Reed, 18, computer engineering technology

MOCK PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE QUESTIONS

This Tuesday will see CCSU hold a mock presidential debate between Tom Foley (aka Mitt Romney) and Ned Lamont (aka Barack Obama). The following is a list of key questions I have for the pretend candidates:

OBAMA:

• ·         What mistakes do you feel you made as president over the last four years?
• ·         What would you do differently if you were elected president again?
• ·         Which of your opponents policies do you disagree with and why?

ROMNEY:

• ·         Why do you think you would make a better president?
• ·         How would you improve the education system for college students?
• ·         Which of the past presidents do you feel you are more like and why?

Elizabeth Esty Interview

Democrat Elizabeth Esty appeared on local radio station WNPR as part of the "Where We Vote" series. During the discussion with host John Dankosky, she tackled many topics such as social security, the middle- class, education, just to name a few.

On the topic of higher education in particular, Esty was asked:

Question: tell me how would you make higher education more affordable for not only Connecticut residents but America?

to which she responded: 

Answer: “...I think we need to stand strongly by the federal programmes that are supporting what otherwise is a crushing student debt but I think we need to step back further and just say as a country do we believe in supporting higher education and one of the areas were we could do differently and better, we’ve seen small steps say in supporting medical students who commit to serve underserved communities... I think we should seriously look at supporting through educational either grants, perhaps better yet loan forgiveness for students who choose to enter these areas where we know we have jobs that are sitting open right now and they’re tough academic programmes...I think we could do more to encourage students to be perusing the kinds of degrees and the kinds of skills that actually would be really helpful and really valuable in the economy."

Esty's response seemed to be consistent to what she had previously mentioned in terms of education. For instance she states on her official website:

Insisting on results and accountability:  We must look hard at the performance of our current education system and figure out how to deliver better results for children.  The limitations of the last decade of “teaching to the test” as well as the impact of budget cuts at the local, state, and national levels, demand that we do things differently.  It is not enough to have admirable goals – we must insist on real results.  That is why I believe that we need to work more closely with business as well as education professionals to prepare children for the future.  

Preparing for 21st Century jobs:  We need to revamp our education system to equip our children for 21st century jobs, which require solid grounding in math, science, and technology.  I support greater incorporation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum as well as increased emphasis on mentoring and apprenticeships to put that knowledge to use in real world settings.  A system of strong vocational training in high school, combined with apprenticeships and 1 or 2 years of post high school education, would create a talent pool of highly skilled workers who will be able to compete globally in the new economy.

Also at an environmental forum for the 5th Congressional District candidates on October 3rd, Esty was quoted as saying:

"We have to look at loan forgiveness to incentivise young people to persue degress in areas where we know we need help,"

Romney Exposed!

A candid video just released by Mother Jones shows Mitt Romney expressing his views on what he really thinks of Democratic voters. The video sees Romney speaking at a private function where he states that 47%  of people will vote in favor of Obama and that these people essentially take advantage of the government and what they offer such as health care and housing due to feeling a sense of entitlement. The Republican also goes on to explain that Obama voters avoid paying income tax which consequently dents his own campaign as his policy for creating low taxes doesn't connect.


"All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it..." - Mitt Romney

DNC Recap: Michelle Obama's Speech

The Democratic National Convention was home to many speakers over the course of the 3 days including the first Latino keynote speaker, Mayor Julian Castro and Former President Bill Clinton. However the scene stealer was no other than the First Lady, Michelle Obama whose speech no doubt increased the popularity of her and her husband. According to CNN, a recent poll showed Michelle Obama to be the nation’s favourite First Lady with 72% of the vote. Michelle’s speech not only depicted Barack as a good politician who sticks to his word but also as a human being who has had his fair share of struggles before making it as the President. She showed him to have a personality outside of what he stands for as a president but also managed to incorporate some of his key policies such as better health care and increasing student aid.

“Well, today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are – it reveals who you are. ...... at the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as President, all you have to guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are....”  - Michelle Obama, DNC, September 4^th, 2012