{"id":4524,"date":"2016-11-18T09:49:14","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T14:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/?p=4524"},"modified":"2025-08-16T17:51:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T21:51:51","slug":"voting-for-what-they-believe-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/2016\/11\/18\/voting-for-what-they-believe-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Voting for What They Believe In"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"clintonstrongertogetherlogo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When it comes to this year\u2019s presidential election, everyone has an opinion.\u00a0 For UMPI students who are Democrats, this election has been a personal one.\u00a0 They were standing behind issues that matter to them.\u00a0 But they also put their support behind Hillary Clinton during a time when many saw her as a \u201clesser of two evils.\u201d\u00a0 Through all the breaking news and scandals, the students still had hope for the future.\u00a0 And they cast their votes on Nov. 8 knowing that those votes still mattered.<\/p>\n

There was no shortage of issues that student Democrats were concerned about.\u00a0 Katharine Waldron, a political science major and WUPI radio station manager, supported Bernie Sanders during the presidential primaries this year.\u00a0 But she is glad that Clinton has fought for student debt reform.\u00a0 That reform is something that Sanders supported.\u00a0 She also thinks it is important that Clinton wants to establish paid maternity leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re one of the few nations left in this world that doesn\u2019t offer it,\u201d Waldron said.\u00a0 \u201cI think that\u2019s definitely something that our nation can work on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student debt and healthcare are issues that many UMPI student Democrats voiced concern about.\u00a0 Craig Pullen, a senior double majoring in psychology and criminal justice, is not officially in the Democratic Party.\u00a0 But he considers himself \u201cprogressive.\u201d\u00a0 He also supported Sanders during the primaries.\u00a0 He said that as a student he has often thought about tuition costs and health insurance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have opinions about all the other issues, but those two have been the biggest ones for me,\u201d Pullen said.\u00a0 \u201cIf we look at other developed countries like we are, they actually have universal healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daria Wozmak, a sophomore political science major, agreed that the next president should address student debt and maternity leave.\u00a0 Another issue important to her is minority rights.\u00a0 She said that, if president, Clinton should create a task force to work with police stations.\u00a0 She thinks this could help prevent violence from police officers who target African-Americans.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost cops are amazing people.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it has just been the 4 to 5% of bad cops that are not good at being in control that are coming to the forefront,\u201d Wozmak said.\u00a0 \u201cViolence is never the answer in these situations, but we keep seeing it.\u00a0 It\u2019s terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n

All three students believed that better change would come from a Clinton presidency.\u00a0 Wozmak called Donald Trump a \u201cwild card.\u201d\u00a0 She has always felt uncomfortable with his negative views on women, Muslims, African-Americans and countless other groups of people.\u00a0 Trump\u2019s comments about women to Billy Bush in the famous 2005 Access Hollywood video also bothered her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my life, I\u2019ve never heard of a public figure like that describing in casual details how to assault a women and get away with it,\u201d Wozmak said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not \u2018locker room talk.\u2019\u00a0 That\u2019s describing sexual assault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pullen also does not approve of what Trump has done to gain so much support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally find that he\u2019s pretty close-minded.\u00a0 He pretty much disrespects half of our citizens,\u201d Pullen said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s trying to spark fear into citizens and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waldron admitted that Clinton was not her first choice for the Democratic Party\u2019s candidate.\u00a0 But she still supports Clinton\u2019s policies over Trump\u2019s.\u00a0 Even then, she said that she hates the way that both candidates have done personal attacks on the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has turned into a game of who can find the most dirt on the other candidate,\u201d Waldron said.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you\u2019re running for office, it shouldn\u2019t be about bashing the other person.\u00a0 It should be about why you\u2019re the best fit for office.\u201d<\/p>\n

The students know that many people decided to skip voting this year.\u00a0 But they encouraged all students to go to their nearest polling station and voice their opinion.\u00a0 No matter what your views are, Wozmak said, voters should know where the candidates stand on the issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen, you\u2019re going to be stuck with someone for four or more years that you may or may not like.\u00a0 That\u2019s a scary thought,\u201d Wozmak said.<\/p>\n

Many people who do not vote often say that one less vote is \u201cno big deal.\u201d\u00a0 But Waldron wanted students to know that the country needs to hear their voices and opinions.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur generation is vital and critical to sustaining the growth and progress of this nation,\u201d Waldron said.\u00a0 \u201cThis is our first step to being able to have a voice and have a seat at the table where we can make decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pullen agreed that college students should vote and contribute to the country\u2019s future.\u00a0 He also hopes that some of these students might be willing to run for public office years from now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like we\u2019re kind of stuck in a cycle that keeps going around,\u201d Pullen said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s time to break that and truly move into the 21st<\/sup> century.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many people, UMPI Democrats have their own opinions about this year\u2019s election.\u00a0 But they know that the only way positive change can come is if students know where they stand.\u00a0 When that happens, all students can go to the polls and feel good about their choice.\u00a0 People will always disagree on political issues.\u00a0 But with any election, students who vote are some of the many people who can help the country move toward a better four years for everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to this year\u2019s presidential election, everyone has an opinion.\u00a0 For UMPI students who are Democrats, this election has been a personal one.\u00a0 They were standing behind issues that matter to them.\u00a0 But they also put their support behind Hillary Clinton during a time when many saw her as a \u201clesser of two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":202,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7381],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/202"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4524"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8930,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4524\/revisions\/8930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}