As New Englanders we’re very fortunate come election time.
Even more so than New Englanders in general, New Hampshire specifically receives a notable amount of attention when it comes to the presidential race. Do Keene State College students know why this is?
If not, the Equinox is here to inform you. The primary elections are held first here in New Hampshire.
This isn’t just some funny coincidence either.
There is reason and logic behind the reasoning. New Hampshire is a lower population state without a major metropolitan area.
George Amaru / art director
The belief is that a place like New Hampshire best represents the general American opinion. Big-name states like California and New York have too much sway, so states like New Hampshire rise to fame during election time. So what? As college students, we like to think that politics don’t really apply to us. We tend to tune out when our parents talk politics and tell ourselves we’ll worry about that kind of stuff later.
The Equinox would like to argue against that notion.
Of course there are some politically active students on campus, we are not discrediting what those students do. However, the vast majority of students on campus might not realize the importance of engaging in politics and truly understanding how much of an impact these policies have on us. We want to push KSC students to become involved and realize how many important presidential candidates come to this campus.
Ranging from Rick Perry, Bernie Sanders, Marco Rubio, Hillary Clinton, many different politicians have made a presence on campus over time.
We are not limited to a particular party either.
Republicans, democrats, independents – all kinds of politicians with differing opinions visit this campus and it’s important that we hear them out. Being a small state, New Hampshire gives people a chance to gauge candidates. We want students to realize how fortunate we are here at KSC. We have the ability to actually ask questions and speak with a multitude of politicians. They are literally right at our fingertips.
It isn’t uncommon to overhear college students talking about how they don’t have a TV in their apartment or dorm room. Many of us simply don’t want to pay for cable.
So instead we resort to Netflix.
Now, there is nothing wrong with binge watching all three seasons of Orange is the New Black, we’ve all been there at one time or another. However, as we all know, there is no presidential coverage on Netflix.
Oftentimes when people think politics, they think boring. We want to reverse that way of thinking. Politics pertain to everything around us. This is our tuition prices at stake, our healthcare, our marriage rights, our rights as women, as minorities, our rights to bear arms, all the freedoms we wish to enjoy are being shaped by these potential candidates. There is no other place in the country (other than Iowa maybe) where we will get the opportunity to get this close to politicians.
We cannot stress to the student body enough, get out there. Get involved, have your needs and concerns heard.
Start caring about politics now and become an informed citizen. Whether you think so or not, your vote and your thoughts matter.
