Election Day retrospective

The Clock Staff

11/10/22

When we left our families at the beginning of our freshman year, we did so knowing we were taking the first steps into the adult world. We lived on our own, we made ourselves dinner, and we got ourselves out of bed after long nights of doing whatever it is college students do. We have lived and worked and loved in Plymouth, shouldn’t those experiences mean something at the polls? “A student goes to school for four years, nine months out of the year. They should have a say over what happens in those four years”, remarked Professor Mark Fischler, continuing “There are three duties every American must perform; pay their taxes, participate in jury duty, and cast their vote come election day”.  At The Clock, we agree that it is the civic duty of Plymouth State students to participate in the electoral process. Collected here are the views and experiences of our staff on election day.

I am a white guy from Boston, my identity has never come under attack, so at the polls I know I’m not just voting for me, but for millions of people that have been institutionally disadvantaged by guys that look like me. I vote for my sister, my mom, and the women in my life who have influenced, educated, and empowered me to run this very paper. I vote for my friends back home who have been terrorized by the police. I vote because I am a journalist in a day where calls for violence against us have been normalized. I vote so that all the social progress made in the last century is not undone. I vote because failing to do so is simply not an option.

But it can not end with voting. We cannot simply fill in a bubble and then disengage until the next election. Progress requires action, it takes picketing, and it takes a constant and concentrated effort to dismantle prejudiced systems and institutions that act only in the interest of upholding capital. Progress begins at home, continues at the polls, and is made precedent by ordinary people living, working, loving, and fighting for a better tomorrow, today.

Jacob Downey – Editor-in-Chief

I feel like voting in today’s political climate has a lot of negative connotations attached to it. Maybe this is because of how polarized our society is, or maybe it’s because voting isn’t exactly “cool”, but in my experience, over the past couple of months I have noticed that many people have a negative opinion about voting. For the past two months, I have been volunteering a few times a week on campus.  I have been tabling outside of the HUB, the dining hall, the library, and anywhere around campus that sees a lot of student foot traffic. I, along with other volunteers, ask people if they plan on voting and provide information about registration.  I have been consistently surprised by the negative reactions that are elicited by asking people about voting. Some people simply ignore the question, some respond positively, and a shocking number of people respond rudely. 
I was thinking about these reactions earlier this evening as I walked into Plymouth Elementary School to cast my vote. I felt overwhelmingly positive voting today. The experience filled me with pride, excitement, and a feeling of value.  My voice was being heard.  I was exercising a right that so many people have fought for, and so many continue to fight for.  For me, the experience was filled with these positive emotions and supported by the long history of passionate people who dedicated their lives to give me the opportunity to cast my ballot.  
Yet I still cannot stop thinking about the negative reactions I have experienced over the past few months. Why was this experience so positive for me, yet so negative for others?  I think the answer is politics.  The politics that are forced upon us leading up to an election divide us.  By the time Election Day rolls around, we have spent months being bombarded by ads telling us how awful one candidate is, and how wonderful another candidate is.  When we finally get the chance to fill out the bubbles on our ballots, we have been forced so far into our separate camps that many people feel hate and contempt towards those they disagree with.
So here is what I propose, now that I am reflecting on the whole experience. Next election, can we try to separate politics from the act of voting? Can we honor our ability to cast a vote, an action that was (and still is) impossible for most people throughout most of history?  Let’s try and see voting in a positive light, separate from the ugly politics that surround it.
Our right to vote is incredibly special. It allows us to play a part in how our towns, states, and country are run. Let’s try and see voting for what it is: an opportunity to be heard, and let’s leave the politics to the politicians.

Jake Duggan – Content Manager

Being a student leader, and part of the generation to make a change, I vote for a better future. This election in particular will affect so many policy decisions in New Hampshire. As a Massachusetts resident, and senior at PSU that has lived here for four years now,  I am lucky to have a voice in this midterm election because every vote matters. The opportunity to be able to vote is something people across the globe wish for, which is why I never take it for granted. Walking into the polls today I was excited to participate in my civic duty. The constitutional right to abortion being taken away was my main drive to vote today. Many candidates on the ballot have stated their promise to uphold the state-wide abortion ban. It is hard to believe it is 2022 and women are still fighting for freedoms, rights, and access to healthcare. This shouldn’t be an issue of politics because it is fundamental, but sadly it is. I urge all voters in the Granite State to exercise this essential right and fight for your values no matter what they are. It is so important because we are the change. I left the polls with my “I voted” sticker feeling proud, and hope you did too! 

Gabriela Gondolfe – SGA President 2023 – Staff writer

I come from a fairly apolitical home, my family never tended to talk about politics, let alone emphasize the importance of voting, I write this as I look at my blank voter registration form from home, so it was quite an odd experience bringing myself to the polls for the first time. It didn’t feel like some grand act going into the voting booth like many seem to make it out to be, the feeling was similar to dragging yourself into work on a cold winter day, a feeling of “why am I out here”. The list of names and positions of names I’ve never heard of only hammered this feeling home. I understand the importance of voting, especially today when the rights of many are under attack every day. If I didn’t go out and vote today I would be saying that I don’t care about my own rights and that it’s okay if people want to attack my friends and family for being who they are. As a first-time voter, especially one coming from out of state, I would say I had an incredibly easy time voting for the first time, I was able to register at the polls with little difficulty and was given no issues for not having all the required paperwork with me such as a birth certificate or passport. Voting is incredibly important as its one of the main ways to be heard by the government. 

Julianne Horensky – Staff Photographer

As a Vermont native, the results of the election are all too predictable. This means no matter which way I choose to vote it seems to have little effect. New Hampshire, however, is a swing state that typically has very competitive elections. This makes the statement ‘your vote is your voice’ actually seem real, as my singular vote can pull a lot of weight in the community. In addition, Vermont is less likely to vote contrary to some key issues such as abortion, education, Medicare and Medicaid. With items like these being the hot-button issue of many candidates on the ballot this year it felt more and more important to choose to vote in New Hampshire to ensure that everyone has access to these important rights. 

Aidan Woods – Staff Editor

No matter who wins at the polls in this election, or the next, we at The Clock will continue to provide fair coverage of the issues faced by the student body of Plymouth State University. We will continue to bring comfort to the afflicted and bring affliction to the comfortable as befits our duty as journalists. We will continue to provide a safe space for underrepresented voices within our community. We are Panthers, we are journalists, we are The Clock.

“In America, the president reigns for four years, and journalism governs forever and ever.” – Oscar Wilde