Looking back at the year in politics
By Megan Baker
Last Updated:4:25 PM EST 4/22/09 Section: News
It's no secret that college students aren't the most politically inclined. But this year, so much happened in the political world that it became nearly impossible for students to not pay attention.
From the historic election to the continued argument over gay marriage, there was plenty to care about as decisions that were made had a huge impact on the country.
For those of you who lived under a rock this year or even those of you who were glued to CNN or Fox News all along, this is a re-cap of what happened along with some student opinion mixed in here and there.
Election
The 2008 presidential election was a heated battle, with a lot on the line. The country was ready for change and the democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden appealed to the American people as they swept the map on election night, leaving republican ticket John McCain and Sarah Palin in the dust.
But this was not only a historic election because of the candidates that were running, but for a lot of students, this election marked the first time they were eligible to vote. Sophomore Scott Sullivan found election season to be particularly exciting due to that fact.
"It was the first time I ever had the chance to vote," Sullivan, who voted for Obama, said. "Being able to vote at such an important time was really cool."
Even those who didn't vote for Barack Obama at the time can see why everyone was so excited about him.
"I thought McCain was a better choice for me because I shared a lot of the same ideals as him," sophomore Blake Embry, who voted for McCain, said. "I just wanted change. I'm a Republican but I didn't care either way, I just wanted whoever was best for our country."
Economy
One of the hot button issues during the election was the economy, and with good reason. In September of 2008, the financial sector nearly collapsed as the government seized Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and loaned $85 billion to AIG.
As problems worsened, the government passed a $700 billion bailout bill that President Bush said would "prevent the crisis on Wall Street from becoming a crisis in communities across our country."
From the historic election to the continued argument over gay marriage, there was plenty to care about as decisions that were made had a huge impact on the country.
For those of you who lived under a rock this year or even those of you who were glued to CNN or Fox News all along, this is a re-cap of what happened along with some student opinion mixed in here and there.
Election
The 2008 presidential election was a heated battle, with a lot on the line. The country was ready for change and the democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden appealed to the American people as they swept the map on election night, leaving republican ticket John McCain and Sarah Palin in the dust.
But this was not only a historic election because of the candidates that were running, but for a lot of students, this election marked the first time they were eligible to vote. Sophomore Scott Sullivan found election season to be particularly exciting due to that fact.
"It was the first time I ever had the chance to vote," Sullivan, who voted for Obama, said. "Being able to vote at such an important time was really cool."
Even those who didn't vote for Barack Obama at the time can see why everyone was so excited about him.
"I thought McCain was a better choice for me because I shared a lot of the same ideals as him," sophomore Blake Embry, who voted for McCain, said. "I just wanted change. I'm a Republican but I didn't care either way, I just wanted whoever was best for our country."
Economy
One of the hot button issues during the election was the economy, and with good reason. In September of 2008, the financial sector nearly collapsed as the government seized Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and loaned $85 billion to AIG.
As problems worsened, the government passed a $700 billion bailout bill that President Bush said would "prevent the crisis on Wall Street from becoming a crisis in communities across our country."
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