HERE’S A BUZZ IN THE AIR AS THE NOV. 4 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NEARS. ADS, SPEECHES AND CONVERSATIONS IGNITE EXCITEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY – AND ACROSS CAMPUS.
WHILE TRADITIONAL 18-22 YEAR-OLD COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE IN THE AGE GROUP THAT VOTE THE LEAST, DR. SCOTT ORR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT TLU, EXPLAINED THAT THEIR VOTING RATE IS INCREASING.

“The voting rates in general have gone up over the past couple of elections –7 percent from 2000 to 2004, and voter turnout among 18-24 year olds went up close to 30 percent,” Orr said. “Those in college right now have the highest voting rate among groups of young people in recent decades.”

Political scientists predict that in the 2008 election, voting rates for the 18-22 year-olds will continue to climb.

“The primaries got a lot of people voting – Obama and Clinton each got more votes than any other candidate in history,” Orr said. “The turnout on the whole was huge, and, again, the voting rate for young people was high.”

For senior Josh Haby, college has been an eye-opening experience about the world and politics, and he has been energized by this election. He has attended rallies, watched debates and talked about issues.

“We are changing, and we are involved,” Haby said. “ Statistically, we are a bunch of kids who don’t care about anything, but we are unifying as a demographic – not necessarily along party lines – to show that we care about our future.”

Luis Moreno, a recent political science graduate, worked for the Obama campaign last spring. “College students are definitely more involved with this election than before,” he said. “I would say that 90 percent of the people working in Obama’s headquarters in San Antonio were between 20 and 30.”

Moreno had worked on political campaigns before, and when the primary was approaching, he said he jumped at the opportunity to become the deputy field organizer for Guadalupe County.

“Technology took the Obama campaign to a different level,” he said, explaining that the campaign used Facebook, text messaging, and constantly updated blogs to improve communication.

The national media has reported the wide use of Google, social network sites, and the new media to reach younger voters, and TLU students are no different than their peers across the country.

Andrew Serafino, a junior psychology major, keeps up with the campaign by watching YouTube. Senior Brock Stanley said many of his friends are becoming fans of the candidates on Facebook. Senior A. J. Costa explained that he Googles to see what’s new online when he gets too busy with school and work.

But on a campus like TLU, students also broaden their perspective through conversation. Luis Peña said his coach talks to his players about the importance of voting. Haby recalled lengthy, afterclass discussions with professors. And for Kat Van Duyn, it is serious conversations with other students.

“Being around my friends who have the same mindset as me – as well as talking to my friends who have a different opinion – has shaped the way I think,” she said.

For some, it comes in the classroom. Peña said, “I wasn’t interested in the election this year until we talked about tax issues and things like that in my political science class. That got me interested in voting.”

Joseph Bahranipoor, senior business major, said, “Right now the U.S. is at a crossroads economically and socially, and this is a very important election to be involved in. Economics is the number one issue on my mind because I’ll be looking for a job soon.”

Senior Robert Hatcher agreed. “As a graduating senior, I’m kind of worried about the job market. The value of the dollar and taxes are big issues for me. I’ve been hitting up more Web sites, watching some of the debates, attending rallies,” Hatcher said. “As I transition out of Texas Lutheran and into the professional world, I need to be more involved in the process.”

A number of TLU organizations are helping students get involved by planning voter registration drives, debate-watching parties and rallies in the weeks leading up to the election.

No matter which candidate students support, they all agree how important it is to vote, and TLU is making it easy for them to make their voices heard. The university will sponsor buses to take students who are registered in Guadalupe County to the polls on Nov. 4.

“Absolutely I will vote,” said Van Duyn. “I’ve grown up thinking that we have a voice in the world, and we need to get out and vote.”

Haby agreed. “It’s what you owe your peers, your family, and your potential kids.” ♦

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