Students Speak Their Minds

By Broadside Correspondent Muhmmad Ghazi

Lately at George Mason University, politics has been in students’ faces, from classroom discussions and paper assignments to the heated debates seen both on television and in the Johnson Center and with this historical election year.

Students at Mason have different levels of involvement in politics, but it is important to find some of the most politically well-versed, outspoken and active ones to share their voice on what matters to them in 2008.

For starters, most students realize that the media is well aware of the impact that young voters, particularly college voters, will have on this year's presidential election.
The local media has been blanketed with campaign ads, and news media and talk radio are each perpetually abuzz with correspondents, analysts and critics all vying for their message to be the most significant.

However, with current events and world affairs, these news broadcasts do not have a shortage of content to cover. The situation in Iraq today and the War on Terror at large is a primary concern for many young voters, but issues such as the struggling economy are also affecting college students, often in a much more direct way.

For those with loved ones in the armed forces serving overseas, however, the same directness is all too real and a common matter of concern in the upcoming election. In addition, health care worries for this current generation as well as its parent generation, controversy surrounding immigration policies, the ongoing abortion debate and the overanalyzed race versus female component on the democratic half, equates to having the right elements for one of the most meaningful decisions Mason students will ever make.

At a campus like Mason, which is just outside of Washington, D.C., the defacto hub of politics and national-level decision and policy making in this country, nearly everyone will have their unique viewpoints and convictions about politics past, present and future.

“The current administration has done a superb job of making bad decisions and providing negative situations for society at large,” said Sabeen Sheikh, a grad student at Mason.
According to Sheikh, “This election means closing the mistakes of the past, recognizing the challenges of the future, and cleaning up the mess of today.”

Alex Rosenwald, a senior studying conflict analysis and resolution, cited the Campaign Finance Reform and Immigration reform as reasons for his decision making.
Rosenwald said, “This election means a lot to me. Even as a registered Republican, I am still having some difficulty with our presumptive nominee, John McCain.”

“However there are still drastic differences between the two other candidates, Senators Clinton and Obama. From their stance against the Iraq War to their support for partial birth abortion [dilation and extraction], it’s becoming very clear to me that I will have no choice but to vote for McCain,” Rosenwald said.

Like most ventures in life, acquiring an adequate amount of information is key prior to making an informed decision. According to Sheikh, “making an educated vote is even more important for the 2008 election so that we can avoid mistakes past voters have made.”

Helping foster this education and its discussion are on campus organizations such as the College Democrats and College Republicans, who serve as a means for politically active or motivated students to meet one another through common political goals and interests.

Rosenwald said, “The College Democrats and Republicans do a very good job of representing what’s in their party’s best interest. However, I think that is what’s hurting them on this campus.”

Rosenwald continued to discuss the behavior of certain young voters.

“Most young people fit right in the middle. They believe each party offers some good, but that there are some extremist elements to it that frighten them,” Rosenwald said.

Due to recent voting patterns and political campaigns, it appears as though that these organizations can raise awareness about the issues that are affecting the Mason community, which is may help to motivate voting. Others like Sheikh are already motivated and are ready to do their part in the upcoming election.

Sheikh said, “I think most young voters recognize . . . this critical decision will impact their adulthood. Knowing that change needs to come in order for political conditions to improve is my main motivation to vote.”