As a freshman, I’m definitely looking forward to the independence of college. Especially considering all the student protests and demonstrations going on around university campuses in the past year, I think college is a place to get started on formulating your own views on what you like in the world and what you would like to see changed. So, to kick off the new school year, here are five fun, easy ways to get politically active as a student.
**Vote.** It’s pretty unfortunate that only 21.5 percent of voters aged 18-29 voted in the 2014 midterm election, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. What’s even worse, the U.S. ranks 31st out of 34 developed democratic countries in voter turnout, [according to the Pew Research Center](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/06/u-s-voter-turnout-trails-most-developed-countries/). When I voted in my local California election last November, I remember feeling independent and proud that my own opinions would help elect a mayor, governor or president. Other students can obtain that same feeling by having their vote hold actual value by politicians in charge.
**Read a newspaper.** The Maneater is a great place to start learning about current events that affect you. Perhaps the lack of political activism among young people stems from the thought, “Politics don’t affect me. Who cares?” But when you read about what’s changing in Columbia, in Missouri and in America, you start to realize that societal and political changes can affect your day-to-day life.
**Watch the nationally televised presidential debates.** A report from the New York Daily News states that Americans watch an average of five hours of TV per day. If we are already seeking entertainment, we might as well tune in to whatever comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth next. Plus, the debates let us hear the candidates’ actual ideas as opposed to a CNN report of who is leading in the polls.
**Pick a party (or not).** Start to align your personal beliefs with the beliefs of a political party. Democrats tend to be supporters of bigger government with more regulation of the private sector and a fiscal emphasis on social programs, while Republicans tend to be more conservative, supporting a smaller government, free trade and competition, with a focus on military spending and lowering taxes. Or you can choose to be an independent, like myself, and be somewhere in the middle, having your own unique beliefs about a government’s role.
**Join the PCI.** The Political Communication Institute is within the College of Arts and Science and promotes citizen engagement in political affairs. An upperclassman friend of mine applied to the Institute, and now she is getting ready to conduct original research at the Iowa Caucus (Iowa being the first state to vote for the new 2016 president) on Feb. 1, 2016!
College brings about a lot of personal independence. In addition to being able to decide what you want to eat or when you want to go to bed, college students are of age to participate in the political process. Now that we are starting to realize how the economy, health care and education costs affect our everyday lives, we must become more informed and let our voices be heard.
