There is no doubt that the 2016 presidential election became a topic of conversation, or perhaps a discussion to avoid, during the past year.
In early September, several Shepherd University students were questioned about their thoughts on voting, political issues, and the main candidates running for president in the upcoming election. These questions evoked a variety of responses and a few unanimous opinions about the election.
When each student was asked about how they felt about voting, most responses, if not all, began with a deep sigh and roll of the eyes.
Tina Miller, 51, a fine arts student at Shepherd, said she is going to vote but is still unsure of who she is voting for.
Miller said she feels “horrible” about the election and “is not looking forward to choosing a candidate.” Miller went on to talk about how she has never seen so much controversy in a presidential election before.
One business and marketing student, Austin Showe, 20, said he is not going to vote.
“I feel like it’s a waste of my time because I don’t agree with Clinton’s morals and Trump is a hothead who seems unaware of how to effectively solve our main issues at home.” Showe said.
Showe said is currently interested in joining the military and fears that the United States will be involved in a major war if either candidate becomes president.
Showe also added that he feels that when it comes to major decisions, such as international affairs, he does not believe either candidate has the qualifications to effectively represent our country.
Unlike Showe, Shelby Lee, a 21-year-old business administration student, is settled on voting for Trump.
“I agree with his immigration policy,” Lee said, “and Hillary is a criminal that needs to be prosecuted.”
Lee said that she feels like the next leader of the United States should focus more on internal affairs and less on foreign political interests.
According to many of the student interviews, ambiguity appears to be the most threatening aspect of this race due to the candidates failing to align with personal views.
One student concerned about the candidates’ vagueness is Amelia Carte, a 25-year-old graduate student at Shepherd University.
Carte does not believe that either candidate has the people’s best interest at heart, and that they have pandered to the public during this election.
When asked to compare this election to the previous elections, Miller, Showe, and Carte all said that they were more confident in deciding in the last election because the choices were “less extreme.”
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