The election process can be a confusing time for students looking to form an opinion and cast their vote. This is one of the reasons why a 2016 Election Event was held for Hood students on Feb. 23. From 1:00 until 2:30, approximately thirty-five students sat in the Hodson Auditorium, listening to four of their classmates examine the main issues surrounding their political parties during this election period.<\/p>\n
Carin Robinson, assistant professor of political science, facilitated the discussion. According to Robinson, the inspiration for the event came from a student who was unsure about her political opinions and wanted a chance to discuss and learn about her options.<\/p>\n
Claire Kondig and Margaret Hindman sat outside the auditorium, representing the League of Women Voters of Frederick County. The purpose of this organization is to register voters and educate voters about elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cEncouraging people to vote is what the league is about,\u201d said Hindman.<\/p>\n
Students were able to register to vote at their table from 1-2:30 during the election event.<\/p>\n
The two students representing the Hood College Democrats were Dan Cramer and Sam Kebede. On the Republican side were Brice McAndrew and Allen Paxton.<\/p>\n
“The Republican Party is the party for the individual,” said Paxton.<\/p>\n
“We are the party of freedom,” McAndrews said. “I am a proud Republican. I am a proud individual.”<\/p>\n
Dan Cramer spoke first for the Democratic Party. He stated that the Democratic Party is \u201ca foremost fighter on social issues\u201d, and reminded the audience that unemployment has been on a steady decline during President Obama\u2019s two terms.<\/p>\n
“You have to vote, and you have to vote Democrat,\u201d concluded Cramer.<\/p>\n
The first issue the students discussed was illegal immigration. Democrat Sam Kebide spoke first.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a nation of immigrants,” Kebide said. “These are still people. People who are fleeing violence.”<\/p>\n
On the Republican side, Paxton called for securing the border so \u201cwe know who\u2019s coming in.\u201d<\/p>\n
After that topic, foreign policy was the next issue to be discussed, followed by the economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a job killer, it doesn\u2019t work,\u201d said Paxton about raising minimum wage. \u201cWe need to create more higher paying jobs instead of higher paying minimum wage jobs,\u201d<\/p>\n
The last issue covered was the rising dissatisfaction about the government.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need people who can work together to express their strong beliefs equally,\u201d said McAndrew. \u201cI believe that our system works best when you have people with strong opinions who don’t necessarily agree but can compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n
“We must learn we only see issues from our unique side,” said Cramer. \u201cWe need to keep our ears open to know what issues plague other groups.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the discussion came to an end, there was a chance for students to direct questions at the representatives on stage.<\/p>\n
The Maryland primary election will be held on April 26. Those who have not yet registered can register in person at their local Board of Elections, or online or by mail. More information can be found on the Maryland.gov website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"