As a young adult, I have noticed that I am automatically categorized as being part of a generation that knows very little about politics nor seems to care, especially here at Quinnipiac. Rated as one of the most apathetic schools in the nation, it makes you wonder whether we are really concerned with what’s going on in the world around us.
Recently in my American Government class, our professor did little experiment to test our knowledge of political figures. She first asked if we could name the seven dwarfs from the Disney classic, “Snow White.” Without hesitation, our class was able to name them all within a matter of seconds. Then asked us to name the nine current active members of the Supreme Court. This was not as easy. After a slightly longer period of time had passed, we had difficulty just coming up with a few names.
This was a serious wake-up call for me, and hopefully it was for my fellow classmates as well. Although I like to keep myself updated here and there, I too sometimes find myself guilty of not being better informed in the world of politics.
In a similar example of the seven dwarfs versus members of the Supreme Court, some of my classmates mentioned a study that they had heard of in which a majority of the people could name all three American Idol judges but did not have the slightest idea who the President and Vice President of our country are.
Some of my own friends and peers have claimed to just not care-but in reality I know they do. It’s surprising to see the amount of people who say they are apathetic but really have strong feelings about certain issues. Unfortunately, it seems as though there are many young adults out there that do have an opinion but either will not educate themselves on the parties and people that could help support their stances or feel that their vote will not make a difference.
With the 2008 Presidential Election quickly approaching, it is important for everyone, including us college students, to start getting more involved. This does not necessarily mean you need to know every detail about everything and everyone. Just take a few moments out of your day to watch the news or read an article in the newspaper concerning the elections.
Much to my delight, after asking around, I discovered that perhaps some are making that small effort to be more politically involved. Several of my roommates are planning to vote, whether it is physically going to the polls or sending in an absentee ballot. It is the little steps like these that can hopefully encourage other people our age to take a step forward in the right direction and become more politically aware.
