Election Fuels AU Freshman to Share Her Voice
By: Hannah Rapoport
Zoe Parson, 18, says she has not yet felt the academic stress that comes with college; however, for the first time, she is beginning to experience the excitement at AU that surrounds an upcoming election.
“I have never been in an environment where so many people care about politics like they do here,” she said.
Parsons says she is passionate about politics, and registered to vote in her home state of North Carolina as soon as she turned 18. The approaching congressional midterm elections will be Parsons’ first time being able to vote in an election.
Parsons says that she is beginning to research congressional candidates in her state, and is paying extra attention to each candidate’s views on immigration and gun control.
While she says that she doesn’t directly know anyone affected by immigration legislation, she has stayed informed on the topic and feels strongly that reform is necessary.
“Immigration reform is especially relevant in today’s political climate, because legislation like the ‘Zero Tolerance Policy’ is separating children from their families,” she said.
Parsons says that gun control is the most important issue to her when looking into candidate’s views.
“As a student, I worry that a shooting, much like the many ones that have taken place in the country recently, can happen at American University. I feel safe at AU, but the fact that it’s an open campus worries me sometimes,” she said.
She said that while she was at home this summer, she heard about the lockdown that occurred on AU’s campus.
“This incident made the issue of gun control more personal and made the thought of a potential shooting happening at AU, or a friend’s school more real. It just scares me to know that a shooting could so easily happen on this campus,” she said.
Parsons says she is ready to vote for whichever candidate represents her views and push for changes.
“I have waited a lot of years to be able to have my voice heard, and it feels great to feel like I am making an impact.”
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