The election for president and vice president of the United States is quickly approaching and vying for everyone’s attention. Recent polls from NBC have shown Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump neck and neck.
With four weeks left until Election Day, eligible voters are being peppered with information left and right. Colorado State University’s thematic Year of Democracy urges students to engage civically. CSU students have a variety of thoughts and feelings about the upcoming election and a wealth of information from the university to go off of.
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First-year business administration student Corah Clemmer discussed feeling prepared to vote but wanting better options.
“I just feel like this election — along with the past two — have become more of just two candidates spending time reminiscing on everything the other one has done wrong in the past rather than being transparent on policies and how to right wrongs,” Clemmer said. “It has come to everyone having ‘concepts of a plan‘ and never knowing where they fully stand on any issue or what the plan is to improve our country.”
Some students expressed feeling concerned, scared and disappointed.
“I’m really anxious and angry at what our (country’s) politics have come to,” CSU journalism student Gigi Bergh said.
The divide between political parties has only grown in recent years. A 2020 report from the Pew Research Center highlighted divides between Republicans and Democrats.
“What’s unique about this moment — and particularly acute in America — is that these divisions have collapsed onto a singular axis where we find no toehold for common cause or collective national identity,” the report reads.
Students have felt this division, perhaps more recently with the federal candidate debates and each campaign’s — and their supporters‘ — frequent use of social media.
Agricultural sciences student William James noted this divide and said he is “constantly disappointed by the left and scared of the right.”
There is a myriad of policies and practices being debated and discussed, particularly related to the outcome of the election. However, there are concerns expressed by those who are not able to contribute to the outcome of the election, such as senior social work student Antonella Torres Peralta.
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“I feel really scared as someone who is an immigrant, but I can’t vote,” Torres Peralta said. “I feel like everything affects me, but I have no say. I don’t have a voice in what happens to me.”
Feelings of concern and worry are not localized to only CSU or other universities; High schoolers are also experiencing strong feelings.
Chalkbeat, a nonprofit educational news organization, worked with the New York Times to survey teenagers on their thoughts and feelings about the election.
“Most participants expect the election to have a major or moderate impact on their lives,” Chalkbeat’s report reads.
With the election not too far away and Colorado ballots being mailed out, it is up to Fort Collins and U.S. residents to make their voices heard.
Reach Aubree Miller at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @aubreem07.
