“Election. What Election?” is the name of the Princeton Review list published by the Huffington Post that lists The University of Tampa as the sixth most politically apathetic college in the nation. Although behind schools such as Duke University and College of the Ozarks, the ranking labels UT students as politically inactive and not knowing or caring about current affairs.
Sophomore Stevie Handwerk does not agree with the ranking.
“I think we’re pretty politically active,” she said. “I talk to people about politics and I go around and hear people talking about it and discussing it and I feel like the debates were watched pretty greatly.”
There are students, however, who think that UT’s spot on the list may have some truth to it.
“We have the UT Democrats and Republicans on campus, but as far as [political awareness] around campus I guess I’ve only seen stickers on cars,” junior Lauren Pruett said. “I think people need to be more educated, I have friends who say they won’t vote because of the Electoral College and they think their vote doesn’t matter but it still matters. I think it does have to do with apathy.”
Travis Abercrombie is the Public Information Coordinator for the Supervisor of Elections Office and he would tell students that their vote does count.
“[Students’] vote most definitely does count. My freshman year at Tampa was in 2000 which is when they had that whole fiasco and take it however you want to but the moral is that someone won that election by 537 votes, so every vote certainly does count. On the flip side, I can assure you, now having worked in the elections office, trust me, we count every vote. Cause if we don’t we’re going to go to jail,“ he said.
Michelle Kerr, a senior, is the vice president of the College Democrats and believes that political apathy stems from students not aiming to be informed, get involved and vote.
“We have an opinion and if you don’t get out to vote, your opinion isn’t going to be counted,” Kerr said. “If college students don’t go out to vote, then politicians won’t even care about college students and then just dismiss us because we’re not going to go out to vote. We do have opinions that matter. We have issues that matter to us as students.”
It is not too late to get involved and informed before voting ends. One easy way for students to obtain political knowledge and be more involved in the election process is to attend a program by the Office of Student Success along with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office and the College Conservatives and College Democrats. Francis Jankowski is a mentor for the Office of Student Success and believes that this event will help students make more informed decisions come election time. The event will take place Thursday, Nov. 1, in the Brevard Community Room from 4 – 6 p.m. There will be snacks, free T-shirts and prizes.
“Ultimately an individual’s choice, but we want to make sure they know what choice they are making,” Jankowski said. “We hope that our event will allow students to become knowledgeable about the history and significance of voting and current, relevant political issues, allowing attendees to make informed decisions when voting, or refraining from voting.”
He also feels that political apathy can be combated by seeking out the information necessary to be educated and not expecting it to be made readily available.
“Personally, I feel it is important for everyone to make informed decisions, and not just in the context of elections. Information isn’t always readily available, but the amount of time and effort it takes to become informed is minuscule compared to the benefits of making an informed decision,“ he said.
Abercrombie will be speaking at the event and stresses the impact that voting in this election will have not just on the nation, but also in our own backyard. It is not just the president that will be determined in this election. State representatives and city council members will also appear on the ballot.
“This election [is important] because we’re selecting the president but I also want students to pay attention and realize that small elections matter as well,” he said. “Your county commissioner has just as much if not more say as to who is going to fix that pothole down the street and how the overall economy as it relates to Tampa may be faring. It’s really important that students get involved and get engaged. Politics doesn’t necessarily have to be a dirty word.”
Abercrombie is a graduate from UT and does not agree with the political apathetic title given by the Princeton Review.
“To be honest, UT kind of gave me my jump into politics and into the election process. I would have to refute that personally but I can’t speak for the whole student body at UT,” Abercrombie said. “Actually with attending the University of Tampa and taking Gateways and global issues, I was able to network my way through CNN, the political area so I would actually credit the University of Tampa with my springboard to where I am now.”
Mia Glatter can be reached at mia.glatter@theminaretonline.com