2012 conventions collide with showbiz in a fight for this generation’s vote
Rebecca Marsh
Equinox Staff
Many new things come about at this time of year with October bringing Halloween, November bringing Thanksgiving, and December bringing the holiday season, but there are some other things that happen at this time of year both in the national news and the entertainment news.
Every four years, America elects a new, or current, president.
The election is held the first Tuesday of November. People from all over the country go out to support their beliefs and try to make a difference in their world.
With the entertainment business peaking out from behind every corner, though, how can young people focus on anything else? Some people would say that politics are interesting, while others are more interested in the tabloids.
Some would say the 2012 presidential election is more important, but with the entertainment industry showcasing Snooki and her new baby, who knows what the new generation is thinking about.
This year, the last night of the Democratic National Conference was on at the same time as the Video Music Awards.
“A lot more people are paying more attention to people who don’t deserve as much attention as they get,” Keene State College sophomore Eric Jedd said. According to freshman Allie Baker, the younger generation does not vote as much because they don’t think that their vote means much in the whole scheme of things. “I don’t think my vote counts,” Baker said.
Political Science Professor John Mehrtens agreed when he commented, “They may not vote partly because they may not be as informed, partly because they are young and don’t think their vote counts.”
According to Journalism Professor Marianne Salcetti, some students are rapidly realizing this importance of this election. “I think it’s absolutely critical that young people vote,” Salcetti said.
The VMAs are a big part of the entertainment industry because of the support from the large young crowd they attract.
“There’s more music people that I know,” Baker said. Sophomore Sarah Bean said that the VMAs are more entertaining and sophomore Ginnelle Campbell agreed. “We are more connected to entertainment than to politics,” Campbell commented. Though there has been some positive feedback from KSC students on entertainment, they said that politics should not be overlooked.
“I don’t think they (the students) understand how much it affects us,” Bean said.
The younger generation wants to know what’s happening in the world of politics and knows that their choices affect them, but the entertainment in the tabloids are everywhere.
“I think perhaps young people know more about the entertainment business than the international business,” Salcetti said.
“But when college students learn and receive and better understand what’s going on in the world, they begin to care,” she concluded.
In an informal poll of 50 KSC students, results proved many students know who the candidates are, but claimed they are not as informed as they would like to be.
Results from the poll showed 38 students said they will vote in this election, and 32 out of 50 people said they were prepared.
When the polled students were asked if they are registered voters, many of them said they were planning on registering soon so that they can vote in November.
Though these numbers are high, the amount of people that did not watch the DNC, as opposed to the VMAs, was very low. Only 14 out of 50 polled had watched at least some of the DNC and the RNC.
Jedd commented, “I know it’s more important to know who’s running the country and their policies.”
According to Jedd and Campbell, information is key in voting for a president.
“If someone really wanted to put forth the effort to get involved they need to do their research,” Jedd said.
Campbell agreed and commented, “Pay attention more what’s going on and what each person has to say.”
On strategies to become more informed, senior Vanessa Nuttall said, “There’s different clubs on campus.” For further information, the KSC Republicans get together at the student center on Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. and walk together to the Victory Office in Keene, N.H.
Watching the news always helps. Since it is so close to the election, the candidates and their views are always on the news channels.
Nuttall said that more people go on the internet and see things.
The next four years can drastically change due to one single vote.
One single vote from one single student can change the state of our nation.
So, what is more important, today’s entertainment or tomorrow’s authority?
Rebecca Marsh can be contacted at
rmarsh@keene-equinox.com