NCU Students Share Thoughts on Being a First-Time Voter

November 8, 2016 by Zoe Herron

Election Day, the culmination of months of research, televised debates, and Facebook arguments, is here. Many college students are facing their first presidential election unsure of who to cast their vote for, and some are even finding themselves hesitant to openly support the candidates they are voting for.

Northwest Christian University students are no exception to this, and many have expressed their concerns and opinions as the time for voting looms overhead tonight.

“I was really excited for my first time to vote, but when I realized my two options, I wasn’t excited anymore. You grow up thinking it would be awesome and it sucks that it’s come down to this,” said Katelin Downes, a junior teacher education major.

For some students, the choice was less about who they thought was the ideal candidate, but more about who was the better option than the other.

“This was not a choice of the lesser of the two evils for me, this was a choice of who would be better for the country that I want to preserve,” explained junior Lily Harrous, a Christian ministry major, “in my opinion, state legislation is the most important part of any election.”

Senior Alexis Wilks shared similar ideas. “There are openings in key positons in our government and court systems that our next president will get to fill. Is that president going to fill them with people who are likely to share my values, or people who will work against what I believe in?” said Wilks, an accounting major.

Although many NCU students may view the election in a generally negative light, some see the turmoil of this political season as a reason to use their life for good.

“This election is reassuring to me that I would like to participate in the political arena,” said Austin Dame, a senior business major and the NCU student body president.

Dame is looking to this election as an example of the many ways to influence the political sphere. “There are so many ways to do it differently, and I want to serve in whatever way that is possible,” noted Dame.