During this Coffee Chat Glenn Altschuler talked to us about voting and its importance. One thing that I do appreciate is that Cornell has been badgering us to vote. Walking into house dinners, crossing through Ho Plaza and then at the coffee chat people have been continually asking me if I’m registered to vote… which is great. Young people, Altschuler told us, were the most pathetic when it came to showing up to the polls on voting day. One thing that was interesting is that when it comes to election polls, they only count those that they believe will be voting, so if young people happen to show up more heavily than expected, they can absolutely be the driving force behind an upset. His talk was enlightening, as he spoke on his knowledge about the different races going on around the country, I was amazed at how much he knew about all of these races. He said that he didn’t particularly think that the race in Ithaca was going to be competitive at all, but he said that this overall midterm election is the most “watched” and most “hyped” midterm that he has seen in a while! It’s very important that we get out and vote, especially considering that we are the young people that polls don’t count on exercising our voting rights.
Rose Scholars Fall 2018
Endless possibilities
I think that one of the most interesting things about the young voting population is that they are some of the first people to complain and protest policies they do not agree with, and yet as you say, not many of them actually voted for the things they believe in. This seems quite counter-intuitive to me, as many people are quick to complain about the current situation, and exclaim how the system is broken, yet they do not make their voices heard when it counts. I think that this is a great example that demonstrates the importance of actually voting, and not just sharing your political beliefs, because if you want to see a change occur, I believe you must be willing to be part of that change as well.
I was also really impressed by just how much Professor Altschuler knew about the details of every race. I was particularly struck by his ability to lay out how each race related to the others, especially when he explained how certain races would precisely indicate the outcomes of countless other races on the other side of the country. There’s so much information out there and so many different races, it was nice to have someone present a somewhat concise representation of the political environment. This is especially powerful for young voters, who may easily feel overwhelmed and burdened by the sheer amount of information needed to understand the dynamics of American politics today.