Paul Russell and Janna Nephew are two Fairleigh Dickinson students who will be voting in this year’s election. Though they have a plethora of reasons for why they are voting, and who they are voting for, a common theme is dissatisfaction with the past eight years of leadership.

“I am amazed that we allowed Bush to stay in office for so long,” said Nephew, a hospitality major. She also said that she is more intrigued by this election because she can actually vote in it. “I am going to vote mainly because I feel like I am supposed to. I have the right to vote,” she said.

Russell, a creative writing major, said he will vote this year because he “might as well have some kind of say in how this country is run.” He said that he is interested in this year’s election “because it will, hopefully, bring about a better four years than these past eight years have been.”

Nephew and Russell are just two members of a demographic that is supposed to tip the scales in the upcoming presidential election: the youth demographic. Consisting of 18- to 29-year-olds, this particular demographic has been eluding the public for years when it comes to elections.

It seems that, during every election, predictions arise that place the youth demographic at voting booths in record numbers, and each election, this particular demographic fails to show. So what makes the race between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama so different? Well, some are banking on the actual increase in numbers.

A 2005 Fact Sheet compiled by researchers from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE, displays the largest surge in youth voter turnout in a presidential election since 1992. The surge is witnessed in the 2004 presidential election, which drew 47 percent of voters in the 18-to-24 demographic, an 11 percent increase from the 2000 election. It also showed that, nationwide, the voter turnout in the 18-to-29 age range increased from 40 percent in 2000 to 49 percent in 2004.

CIRCLE has found that, “In states where data is available for both the 2008 and 2000 primaries, the national youth turnout rate rose from nine percent in the 2000 primaries to 17 percent in the 2008 primaries.”

At the time the fact sheet was published, researchers were unsure of whether or not the increase in youth voter turnout between 2000 and 2004 was a part of a new trend or if it was a blip. The increase in youth voter turnout in the 2004 presidential election, coupled with the increase of youth voter turnout in the 2008 primary election, is leading many to predict that this year is the year of the youth vote.

Daniel Cassino, a political science professor at FDU, said that this is a critical year because it is “the year that tells us if we are seeing a blip, or if we are seeing the beginning of a sustained realignment.”

Cassino said that a realignment is a switch in the dominant party, a switch that is totally plausible because the youth demographic is leaning more toward the Democratic Party than ever.

Krista Jenkins, also a political science professor at FDU, said that the youth demographic is more Democratic because they are influenced by the times and an unpopular president.

Cassino called them “Bush Democrats,” people who generally have had no prior party ties and who do not like Bush, so they decide that they are Democrats. He also said that they will most likely stay Democrats, since party attachments generally form around the ages of 18 to 24, which is why the events that take place during that time period are so critical.

In a recent survey of 202 FDU students, 38 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 22 percent as Independents and 20 percent as Republicans. The remainder didn’t answer the question or responded that they either belong to another party or none at all.

When it comes to the youth demographic, Jenkins said, “Politics just don’t connect.” It seems that, generally, the politicians do not try to connect either. Because they have no habitual voting pattern, or long standing ties to either party, youth seem to be getting short shrift from politicians in their campaigns.
Both Jenkins and Cassino think that the Internet has played a big role in increasing youth voter turnout in recent elections. Jenkins believes that some politicians have learned to better utilize the Internet to reach a broader spectrum of people. And Cassino said that the Internet reduces political barriers by making the exchange of information much easier.

The numbers in 2004 and 2008 are significant, however, the media hype that surrounds them fails to recognize that the increase did not just come out of nowhere. Jenkins said that there has been a gradual increase in youth voter turnout since 1996.

While the 2004 presidential election and the 2008 primaries do show a surge in the percentage of youth voter turnout, it has to be remembered that the numbers still show fewer than 50 percent coming out to cast their ballots. That is the lowest of all the age groups. Also, the percentage of youth voter turnout is still five percent lower than it was in 1972.

“It is still the case that young people don’t pay attention, and don’t vote,” Jenkins said of the low youth voter turnout. “You would think that, with more college education, you would see more voting.”

At FDU, several groups recently have promoted the importance of the youth vote. In September, SGA and ABC co-sponsored a rally in the cafeteria to help inform students about the election issues and to make sure they were registered. The event featured representatives from the McCain and Obama campaigns to help answer questions that students might have about the candidates and their positions on several issues. The Office of Residence Life also promoted a voter registration drive.

For their part, students at the College at Florham seem to have mixed feelings about politics, and some are choosing not to vote in the presidential election.

Allison Biederman, a 21-year-old senior, has admitted that she’s not voting. “For one, I never really pay attention to politics,” she said. “Two, I don’t know who I would vote for, considering I haven’t been paying attention at all.”

Other students, like senior Amanda Marconi, think that voting is important because the outcome will affect students when they enter the “real world.”

“It’s important because everything that happens now will affect us, especially after graduation,” she said. “All of the policies and things will have an influence on our employment opportunities.”

SARA BROWN AND MAGGY PATRICK
Staff Writers

Henry Louis Mencken said that “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.” Mencken’s understanding of the theory has played out on the national stage for months, as the economy has acted tumultuously for over a year and the American people have shown a disturbing lack of maturity. Our economic problems may not be completely our fault, but our reactions to it make Mencken’s satire viscerally and painfully relevant. On matters of serious policy, Americans have become infantilized: unable to come up with good answers, left out of the discussion except to be pandered to, and either ineffective or damaging to efforts at fixing the problem. We are now a nation of babies, with our caretakers running the show with as little input from us as possible, except for political gain. As skeptical as we should be of them, we must certainly be more fearful of actually getting our way.

Recent events are best understood as a standoff between technocrats and the common people, stoked and manipulated by political forces. This tension has ebbed and flowed all throughout human history, but in recent centuries, through public education and institutional checks and balances, we have done much to reduce this conflict by making the groups more similar and by tweaking incentives so that each is working for the benefit of the other.

This developing truce has been severely challenged, not least during this summer with the proposal of a gas tax holiday, pitting the average consumer against the academic economist. At issue was the suspension of the federal tax on gasoline, as fuel prices were reaching record highs in absolute terms. The suspension would most likely not have changed gas prices at all and would probably only reduce revenues to an underfunded infrastructure portion of the federal budget. More to the point, it was almost certainly a political gimmick, designed to win votes through economic populism.

On one side were tremendous throngs of economists, all saying together that the suspension was a trick and we shouldn’t fall for it. On the other side were the American people, struggling ignobly, replacing actual arguments with insistence of the primacy of their interests and deriding economists as inimical eggheads, as if the economists got some special benefit from keeping the gas tax or that they weren’t actually experts and didn’t really know what they were talking about. If the American people truly wanted an immediate drop in the price of gas, their best bet was to either reduce the amount of driving they did and/or reduce the tariff on imported ethanol. In the end, Americans did admirably cut back on driving, but only after being cowed by a staggering unanimity atypical of economists.

The lesson learned from the episode was that the public was in over its head, and that politicians would reliably exploit that. The unlearned lesson was that economists might possibly be acting in the interest of the public. The fight continued with the Troubled Assent Relief Program. TARP was created in a process that shows everything that is wrong with the economic debate in our country.

As the economic downturn morphed into a financial crisis, an urgent bill was quickly politicized, and Americans demanded of their congressmen and congresswomen that they cut off our noses to spite our faces. Suddenly remembering the temperamental and vindictive nature of voters (or, more likely, scared by a precipitous drop in equity markets), Congress cooed at us and passed the bill as quickly and quietly as they could. Later, it was revealed that secret, but probably necessary, provisions were built into the bill, hidden because our technocrats reasonably assumed that voters would scream if they actually knew what was happening.

Regular folks had no idea what was happening but were making noisy demands, anyway. Economists and financiers moved their debates behind closed doors, when they thought the public might protest. Politicians risked the welfare of their constituents for political gain. The process was both slower and less revealing than it could have been.

It is not as though we should automatically demur to the experts. It is entirely appropriate to be vigilant over those with power. The problem is when we replace answers with anger and understanding with self-concern. The technocrats running our country right now have certainly made mistakes, and there are issues which are not comprehended fully but which are being tinkered with nonetheless. The broader public might not have much to say on these subjects, but it is fair for us to ask what, why, and how. More importantly, we should protest, but let it be for the right reasons.

There are two choices left to the public that don’t involve us shooting ourselves in the foot: either we let those in control continue to act as they deem best and hope that it actually is in our best interest or we become experts so that we can more intelligently question and make demands of our caretakers. Will we be good children or will we grow up?

ALEXIS NICASIO
Student Voice Contributor

I never liked politics. In fact, I never took interest in the goings on of our government, or such things as the state of our economy. It all seemed so distant. I mean, how would those things ever affect me?

When Bush came into power, and continued in power, the minimal interest I did have was diminished little by little. Now let me explain that a bit, I had, in fact, begun paying attention to how our government handles itself after the tragic events of Sept. 11.

How could one not pay attention to how our nation dealt with such a traumatic event, one that shakes the stability of a 13-year-old’s world? Let me not mention our entrance into a war that I was frankly afraid of and one that I still do not understand.

Yet the mere fact that someone who caused all this fear, and dismantled the very integrity of this nation on a global scale, continued to be in power and was actually voted to stay in office, confused me.

That small fire of interest that took birth beneath the embers was washed out. I lost trust in the political system, which just seemed like an entanglement of deception. It all seemed hopeless to me.

So the upcoming presidential election put me in an interesting predicament. Should I care? Should I submit myself to the bombardment of politically themed news casts, advertisements, articles and programs?

At first the election just seemed like any other, but as time went on it got to the point where one actually had to take sides, and I’m not just talking about political affiliation. By choosing sides I mean that either one cares about who will be in charge of our country for the next four years, or one doesn’t and just stands on the sidelines, watching as that person elected into office dictates the very society you live in.

I decided not to just watch someone dictate me but actually dictate who is put into office. I have recently registered to vote and could not be more proud of myself. (If you are wondering, I was not old enough to vote in 2004, being only 16 at the time, hence the not registering to vote until now).

Although I was not swayed by a particular candidate in this election to begin with, I realized that this is one of the most important presidential elections in the history of the United States. Not meaning to exaggerate, but have you taken note of where our country is headed as of lately: down the drain. It is truly shocking how our nation has taken a turn for the worst, how our economy is dangling on a fragile string, how thousands of our very own are dying in war and how our debt has accumulated to a number that most of us cannot fathom. We can either stand by and say “Yeah, whatever,” or come to realize that how we get out of this mess matters on who will be our next president.

I am not here to tell you who to vote for or here to convince you to chose one over the other; that is up to you. (Although I do admit that one of the candidates has become particularly inspiring to me and makes me actually want to watch the debates and not only hope for, but actually believe, that change is possible). I know that most of us now are finally old enough to vote and why not have a say in who are leader will be for the next four years?

After all this person will be in charge when many of us graduate and go out into the real world in search for a job, when we will have to deal with real life issues as paying for rent, buying our own food and getting all those bills paid without the safety net of our parents paying for everything for us. Not to hit you with the harsh reality, but it will eventually fall on us to pay our student loans and how will we do that if our economy is in shambles?

Our nation right now is on unstable ground. We need someone who will be able to fix the cracks in our system and restore the foundation of our economy, our government and our future. It is up to you to decide who that will be. Change is possible. Improvement is possible. Politics not being “your thing,” is no longer an excuse; as it was for me for far too long.

LORENA CHOUZA
Executive Editor

In a recent survey assessing FDU students’ feelings about the upcoming presidential election, the majority of respondents said they consider the economy to be the most important issue facing America.

Fifty-eight percent of the 202 students surveyed chose the economy over health care, foreign policy, energy/environment, the war in Iraq, education, abortion and homeland security as the issue that mattered most to them.

In an interview, Brian Moran, a business management major, said that the economy was the most important issue because it is on the verge of recession, due to bad decisions of past years. “Before we can be strong enough as a country to deal with all the foreign issues at hand, we need to strengthen our homeland and its issues first,” he said.

In the survey, after each student circled a subject, the next question asked why he or she considered that choice the most important. This is where it got very interesting. In a survey riddled with various differences in choice, many of the students surveyed seemed to have the same reason for why the economy was most important: jobs! Yes, there were numerous outliers as well, such as people who were scared of a depression and the idea that tough times only get tougher when the money runs out. But the most common reason why most students chose the economy was because they would be graduating soon and, with a bad economy, it would prove to be very difficult to get jobs.

It’s no surprise that, upon graduating, the thing most people want is to get a job and make money. Nobody is hit as hard as the graduating class of 2009. According to numerous credible Web sites and news columnists, the global economic crisis is leaving the class of 2009 with the bleakest job market in generations. This is why it is so important to vote. Without making your voice heard, you really don’t have the right to complain when you’re looking for a job and can’t find a thing.

Even though the economy ranked highest among the majority of people polled, other subjects did not go unnoticed. The war in Iraq was second with 12 percent, followed by energy/environment with 9 percent. Both issues are extremely important for the future of this country, especially to the generation graduating in upcoming years. That’s why people keep saying that this is such an important election. There is no more important time than the present, especially for people our age who are getting ready to go out into the world and start independent lives. If this survey conducted within a small group doesn’t seem applicable to the times and interests of other students across the country, then ask yourself a couple of questions.

Will all of these important issues in some way affect your life in the next four years? This election could be the first step in correcting anything that has gone wrong with our country.

Even though the economy, war in Iraq and energy/environment got the most votes in the FDU survey, the other issues – abortion, foreign policy, education, healthcare, and homeland security – are also important. The “Other” category even got responses. Students wrote in such things Israel and the well being/happiness of mankind. All of these issues are extremely vital and will be addressed by the next president of the United States.

MIKE GONNELLO
Staff Writer

More and more people are relying on absentee ballots to cast their votes in the upcoming election. According to NJ.com, “Officials are scrambling to process a record number of registrations in New Jersey. New Jersey now has a record 5.3 million registered voters, due in part to the 575,145 new voters who registered between the Jan. 1 and the Oct. 14 deadline. Of those 5.3 million voters, at least 200,000 have cast their votes using absentee ballots, as of Oct. 21.”

An absentee ballot is defined as a ballot submitted in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls. It is typically thought to be used by soldiers away at war fighting for our country but who still want to take part in choosing the next president. Students who attend school out of state or far enough away that traveling to a polling place is a major inconvenience also make up a large portion of absentee voters.

However, you do not need to fall into one of these two categories to forgo traveling to a busy polling place on Nov. 4. While it is too late to get an absentee ballot by mail, according to the N.J. division of elections Web site, if you work or have classes all day and just cannot find time to go sit in what could be some very long lines than you could have still cast your vote by absentee ballot. According to a New Jersey election information Web site, www.866ourvote.org, a voter may apply for an absentee ballot “in person to the County Clerk until 3:00 p.m. the day before the election.” Judging by the results of a survey completed by 202 Fairleigh Dickinson students, there are a lot of people taking advantage of absentee ballots. Some students are using the absentee ballots because they live in another state, but others have clearly decided it just seems easier and more convenient to send an absentee ballot in, instead of having to fit travel time to a polling place into their schedule.

The survey showed a variety of reasons why people want to make sure that they are voting. One of the questions on the survey was, “Are you planning to vote” Many people declined to give their reasons, but there were plenty of others who decided to explain why they think it is important that they vote. The most common theme seems to be along the lines of, “Yes, I want my voice to be heard” or “Yes, I want to play a role in the democratic process.” Many people expressed the feeling that it was their “duty as an American” to vote and others just seemed excited about being able to participate in an election for the first time in their lives. “Every vote counts” and “because we need change” were two more common answers given by students.

There were, of course, some people who said they would not be voting. Some responses were along the lines of, “No, I do not feel strongly about someone who could run a country.” Another answer was, “No, because I do not believe much will change no matter who is president as long as compromising bi-partisanship and greedy corporations control everything.” Then there were some undecided voters to account for, as not everyone has their mind made up. These students are not sold on either candidate, but they feel they still want to participate. One student answered, “I am still debating for myself, where I do not want to participate in a choice of two evils, but I do not want to sit and do nothing.”

This trend of absentee or early voting is rising more and more with each election. People are opting for the convenience and time-saving factors of voting early instead of taking time off of work or school to go to the polls, in the 31 states that allow early voting. According to msnbc.com, “election experts predict that a third of the electorate will already have voted by Nov. 4, up from 15 percent in 2000 and 20 percent in 2004.”

The convenience factor does not only apply to the voters. The hope is that this will make life a lot easier on election officials, who will have much more time to sort through the votes and make sure they are correct and will not be quite so overwhelmed with votes all coming in on Nov. 4.

CHRIS NIMBLEY
Staff Writer

In a survey of 202 students at the College at Florham, Sen. Barack Obama was the top pick for president. But why is Obama leading with 63 percent, while Sen. John McCain has a slim 22 percent?

Many students noted in recent interviews that they like Obama because they agree with his views and policies more than McCain’s.

Jennifer Damiano, a junior communication studies major, is an Obama supporter. “I believe that he is really trying to make change in American society,” she said. “He strongly believes in his views and what he can do for America.”
One sophomore student, who chose to remain anonymous, disagreed.

“I don’t believe Obama is the right candidate because I don’t believe in his issues because of the stuff he says and the people he is associated with,” the student said.

Jim Baker, a senior accounting major, is an avid supporter of McCain and his issues. “I believe that Obama’s economic and tax plans will not create jobs or lower national debt; they will force good American companies overseas, halting economic progress or any small business growth.”

Responses to the FDU survey suggest that most students disagree with McCain and agree with Obama. “He [Obama] is the best match to my convictions on issues I believe will be important during the next presidential term,” said Chase Kruppo, a junior business management major.

Karen Giardina, a junior marketing major, also supports Obama. “I agree with most of his policies and I just don’t find McCain to have as much intelligence,” she said. “He is just another Bush.”

A hot topic among students are the vice presidential candidates. Many students have become doubtful of McCain because of his pick for vice president, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. “McCain’s choice for vice president only made me realize it is my duty to make sure a woman like Palin will never have a hand in my government,” said Kruppo.

Damiano agreed, saying, “I know that we would not be in good shape if she became our president if needed.”

When asked how she felt about Palin, Kym Molaskey, a junior political science and sociology major, was more sympathetic. “I’m not going to get on her the way other people do, because she’s obviously an intelligent woman. She’s just overly criticized,” she said.

“At the same time, I’m kind of insulted as a woman because I feel that she wasn’t chosen based on her merits. She was chosen because the Republicans look at the Democrats and thought, ‘Oh they’re making change… they had a woman running, they have an African American running.’ So I think they wanted to prove they weren’t just a bunch of old white guys, so they picked a token woman.”

Other students respect McCain’s choice for vice president.

“The choice of Sarah Palin reinforces the importance of family values within the Republican party,” said Baker. “Yes, Palin has little experience, but she is only running for vice president. Obama has similar experience and he is running for president.”

According to the survey, the number one issue among the respondents is the economy. Giardina also believes the economy is the most important issue facing the country. “Considering all the problems we are going through right now financially, it is important that we have a strong leader to put us in the right direction for the future,” she said. “I think Obama will look into what actions will benefit us the best in the future rather than right now.”

Kruppo believes energy and the war on terror are the most important issues. “Energy is a key derivative of most other issues. Our nation’s ability to control and sustain its energy sources affects our reasons for meddling abroad,” he said.

Kruppo believes Obama and his running-mate will best solve or help those issues. He said, “I believe that they will enact the legislation necessary to direct domestic green energy alternatives while deescalating the violence in foreign war.”

KAYLA HASTRUP
News Editor

America seems to be in trouble. People’s faith in President Bush seems to be falling with the Dow Jones, and thousands of people are losing their homes across the country. It seems that Americans, regardless of their choice in candidates, are looking forward to what either Sens. John McCain or Barack Obama can do to ensure a safe and prosperous future for the entire country. But who is the best candidate, and what kind of impact will the outcome of this election have on the next four years?

According to students, each candidate, if elected, will have their own impact on the future. One major concern for students is the economic crisis, which will ultimately fall into the hands of the next president and Congress.

Some, like Anthony Melione, a senior, believe that putting the crisis on the shoulders of the next president is unfair.

“I think its tough to say that any president will do well in the economy nowadays,” he said in an interview. “It’s kind of a tough spot where whoever gets elected is going to have a tough time pulling us out of this whole economy mess.”

However, he does think that Obama is the better candidate that will help the United States in this time of need.

“I do think Barack Obama is better suited to improve our economy. I know it has been overused but McCain has voted for Bush’s policies over 90 percent of the time, and that includes what has gotten us into this problem,” he said.

On the other hand, some believe that McCain’s economic policies will rescue Americans from the financial crisis.

“Obama wants to progressively socialize our government leaving less room for free enterprise,” said one survey.

In a survey of 202 FDU students, 63 percent of respondents declared that they would vote for Obama. Twenty-two percent said they would vote for McCain. Eleven percent are either undecided or planning to vote for someone other than McCain or Obama, and another four percent didn’t answer the question.

Graduate student Hilary Froehlich thinks that the Republican candidate will ultimately make the best president.

“My family has worked really hard to get where we are,” she said in an interview. “It’s not fair for people to get things handed to them.”

Froehlich said she thinks that McCain is the “stronger individual,” and that his history of reaching across he aisle to Democrats and Republicans will make him a better president.

“I think that we will gain our stability back,” by having McCain in office, she said.

However, some survey respondents said that they were voting for Obama because of the lack of stability within the past eight years under a Republican president.

“My mother is a teacher, so Bush hurt her terribly,” said one survey. “The economy needs fixing and people need help. I need healthcare..Obama has it all.”

Since both candidates are so different, a polarization has occurred between the supporters. Some students who believe that Obama will be the best president think that his health care plan will ensure that people across the country have access to what everyone has, while others, who support the Republian candidate, think that McCain’s stance on decreasing the involvement of big government will allow people to live their own lives independently, therefore creating the best environment for small business growth.

While no one can predict the future, it is certain that students across campus have concerns about both candidates and their plans for the presidency. The impact of their campaigns will be projected throughout the next four years, whoever the winner might be.

MAGGY PATRICK
Editor-in-Chief

As Election Day draws nearer, the divide between Democrats and Republicans becomes more and more defined. From a series of heated televised debates to punchy commercials, zingers fly left and right, attacking each presidential candidate.
Regardless of political affiliation, each candidate is guilty of throwing metaphorical punches, each retaliating with equal force as observed in the series of political commercials that have aired over the weeks. But the clash does not end there. In fact, perhaps this election year’s political conflict can be most easily seen via college campuses. Fairleigh Dickinson University is no exception.

For a week, tables were set up in the Student Center encouraging students to register to vote and to take interest in the political campaigns. One result of this increased interest could be a visible conflict between Democrats and Republicans on the College at Florham campus. Instead of debates and discussions, the clash on the FDU campus was presented in a different way. A possible alternative to an informed debate, posters with Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama were ripped apart on the second floor of the Student Center. Originally, the posters were placed on opposing sides of the wall leading up to the cafeteria. The two candidates were profiled on the posters and a photocopies of their headshots were also affixed to the posters.

Within less than a week, the posters were torn and defiled. Devil horns were drawn above each of the senators and curly mustaches were doodled across their faces. In one of the most highly trafficked area of the campus, there is no doubt many students passed by this visible sign of a political party clash at FDU.

The divide did not end there. It found its way into residence halls. Above the elevators in the Rutherford residence hall, two banners were posted, one bearing the name of Democratic candidate and the other bearing the Republican. Within two days, the banners were torn down (quite a feat, seeing as they were posted atop of the elevator doors). On the inside of the one elevator, the words “GO’Bama” were written in Sharpie. The next day, however, the “G” was crossed out and the phrase was reworded to “NO’Bama ’08.”
Students have noticed the visible signs of this “alternative debate,” so to speak. Claire Pisano, a senior marketing major, said of the scribbled posters, “It’s fine when it’s in good nature and when people don’t actually believe that bad things should happen to the candidates. That happens when people aren’t informed.”

Pisano believes that this alternative debate and the disagreement that it created could be a result of the media hype. “For some, it is their first election,” said Pisano. “It’s exciting and you want to be involved more because the media has made this election huge.” Pisano admitted that she tries to ignore alternative debating like the ruined posters and graffiti-ed doors because both sides of the political spectrum are responsible.

However, it is hard to ignore the media’s influence on the clash on campus. Fatima Al Jazeeri, a sophomore political science major, believes that people are “overly excited” about the upcoming election.

“People are getting caught up in the media hype,” said Al Jazeeri. “On one side you have a black candidate, on the other, the oldest candidate… I don’t think people are ripping [posters] because they hate the other person. They want to do something fun and they get caught up in it.”

Will Kole, a senior political science major, recognized the media hype’s effect on the alternative debate on campus. “There is a lot of media directed at the ambivalent young voter,” said Kole.

“Over time, it seems more young people are caring more about how their country is run. I think, for the people who are hardcore one side, it’ll [the ripped posters] rev them up a little more.” Kole believes that the ripped posters and elevator drawings will make students more inclined to vote for their candidate.

Whether it’s a result of the media hype or anxious first time voters, the alternative debates on campus are proof that students at FDU have found their political voices, and intend to be heard one way or another.

ELYSE FETHERMAN
Entertainment Editor