BHS Students Weigh in on the 2016 Election
by Heather Howell'16
It may not occur to us now, but we are watching history unfold: the subjects of documentaries, the stories we will tell our grandchildren. Technology has altered the way we receive our news and has allowed us to interact with the media and the candidates like never before. Growing up in the age of technology, Millennials offer a unique perspective; some could not care less about politics while others attend the rallies and take to social media to voice their poignant opinions.
High school students do pay attention to politics even if they can’t vote. A quick walk through the senior lot shows plenty of cars with bumper stickers supporting a variety of candidates. Millennials understand the role politics plays in their lives and have certainly formed their own opinions.
Freshman Jessica Hapgood, a supporter of Bernie Sanders, says that even though she is too young to vote, she still cares because “it’s the country we live in.” Politics affects everything from “school lunches to gas prices.”
Hapgood finds some of the candidates childish, saying “Hillary lies, Trump puts down others to seem tough.” While she has never been to a rally, she has heard from others that they are crowded. In fact, some students in Bedford have posted selfies with candidates on social media.
Right in the middle is senior Mary Handy. She is not interested in politics and does not pay attention. Debates to her are “shouting matches” which hurt her head. Her parents are Republicans who have been to a couple of rallies and refer to them as “cool experiences.” While her parents had once influenced her political beliefs, Handy is now their complete opposite. She attributes this change to being less naive.
“I am probably more mature than Trump, but who isn’t?” She finds that Republican candidate Marco Rubio is the most mature of all the hopefuls though he’s suspended his campaign as of March 15th.
Some of her favorite celebrities have endorsed Bernie Sanders but it “doesn’t stick with her.” She is skeptical of his economic plans. She does not go actively searching for updates but she says she knows her social media circles like Sanders and despise Trump. While Handy wishes the campaign season was over, she is not completely in the dark and despite her neutrality, she also has many relevant opinions.
Meanwhile, junior Nick Lorenz says he supports Ted Cruz. He does not trust the other candidates and “might just not vote” if the senator from Texas is not the Republican nominee. The other candidates’ “ideas don’t seem that logical.
On social media, unfounded rumors are spreading that Cruz is the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified serial killer from Northern California. Lorenz was unaware of the conspiracy theory but says he does not believe it seeing as the murderer committed his crimes in the sixties while Cruz was born in December of 1970.
He gets his news from television as opposed to social media. He says he will be more invested in politics in the future but for now he has “other stuff to do.” He feels the campaign season is “getting annoying,” a sentiment echoed by many. Politics is not his focus and yet he still has chosen a candidate.
The graduating class of 2016 were mere fifth graders when Barack Obama became the first African-American president. By next year, we just may have our first female or first Jewish president, more historic landmarks worth celebrating. No matter what happens, this campaign will be well-documented not only by the media, but also by average citizens taking photos and videos at rallies and tweeting their opinions. Students have plenty to talk about when it comes to politics. It is not difficult to get them going on the topic. And in Bedford High School, there are plenty of opinions to go around.
High school students do pay attention to politics even if they can’t vote. A quick walk through the senior lot shows plenty of cars with bumper stickers supporting a variety of candidates. Millennials understand the role politics plays in their lives and have certainly formed their own opinions.
Freshman Jessica Hapgood, a supporter of Bernie Sanders, says that even though she is too young to vote, she still cares because “it’s the country we live in.” Politics affects everything from “school lunches to gas prices.”
Hapgood finds some of the candidates childish, saying “Hillary lies, Trump puts down others to seem tough.” While she has never been to a rally, she has heard from others that they are crowded. In fact, some students in Bedford have posted selfies with candidates on social media.
Right in the middle is senior Mary Handy. She is not interested in politics and does not pay attention. Debates to her are “shouting matches” which hurt her head. Her parents are Republicans who have been to a couple of rallies and refer to them as “cool experiences.” While her parents had once influenced her political beliefs, Handy is now their complete opposite. She attributes this change to being less naive.
“I am probably more mature than Trump, but who isn’t?” She finds that Republican candidate Marco Rubio is the most mature of all the hopefuls though he’s suspended his campaign as of March 15th.
Some of her favorite celebrities have endorsed Bernie Sanders but it “doesn’t stick with her.” She is skeptical of his economic plans. She does not go actively searching for updates but she says she knows her social media circles like Sanders and despise Trump. While Handy wishes the campaign season was over, she is not completely in the dark and despite her neutrality, she also has many relevant opinions.
Meanwhile, junior Nick Lorenz says he supports Ted Cruz. He does not trust the other candidates and “might just not vote” if the senator from Texas is not the Republican nominee. The other candidates’ “ideas don’t seem that logical.
On social media, unfounded rumors are spreading that Cruz is the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified serial killer from Northern California. Lorenz was unaware of the conspiracy theory but says he does not believe it seeing as the murderer committed his crimes in the sixties while Cruz was born in December of 1970.
He gets his news from television as opposed to social media. He says he will be more invested in politics in the future but for now he has “other stuff to do.” He feels the campaign season is “getting annoying,” a sentiment echoed by many. Politics is not his focus and yet he still has chosen a candidate.
The graduating class of 2016 were mere fifth graders when Barack Obama became the first African-American president. By next year, we just may have our first female or first Jewish president, more historic landmarks worth celebrating. No matter what happens, this campaign will be well-documented not only by the media, but also by average citizens taking photos and videos at rallies and tweeting their opinions. Students have plenty to talk about when it comes to politics. It is not difficult to get them going on the topic. And in Bedford High School, there are plenty of opinions to go around.
