Posts by Maegan Vazquez
The Young Politica: Will Young People ‘Rock the Vote’ Like They Did in 2008?
I like to think that voting is a trendy thing for young Americans. We see it as a rite of passage and a chance to impact the world. 
I like to think that come November 4th, some of us make it a point to show off our ‘I Voted’ sticker, like it’s the status symbol for the concerned citizen. But in reality, voting isn’t that easy when you’ve never done it before and it takes a lot of responsibility to be informed enough to make an educated voting decision.
Rock the Vote is a nonprofit that focuses on trying to engage young people in the political process. One of their main objectives: getting young people to vote. In 2008, the organization was at a new peak. The advancement of technology which promoted voting, an overall desire for reform in the White House, and an increase in the amount of celebrity candidate endorsements, all of this led to one of the highest youth voter turnouts in American history.
This year is different. After four years of promise, some young people are not seeing change.
Read MoreThe Young Politica: How Obamacare Affects College-Aged Women
You may have heard the word ‘Obamacare’ spinning around the election coverage, but here’s what it’s all about and how it can affect you.
Obamacare (formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) is a set of newly-passed (2010) healthcare reform mandates that ultimately aim to provide insurance to the uninsured by lowering the overall costs of health care. The planned changes, which have already begun and will last until 2020, include:
- offering free preventative counseling and birth control to women (unless you work for certain religious institutions or possibly unless you work for a company that does not support birth control, depending upon how the courts interpret the Constitution on this one),
- guaranteeing that those who apply for insurance with preexisting conditions are not turned away,
- and an annual penalty to those who do not have insurance by the year 2014.
Many of the changes won’t go into effect until 2014 (or unless Mitt Romney wins the election and repeals Obamacare as he has promised, but some have already gone into action.
Here are some changes Young Politicas should expect to affect them immediately and in the future:
Read MoreThe Young Politica: What Each Presidential Candidate Has to Offer You
Researching candidates is key when deciding who you will vote for in the 2012 presidential election. However, deciphering fact from opinion about how they would lead the country on major issues can be overwhelming—especially for a first-time voter.
As I have mentioned in previous columns, our demographic (college-aged females) plays a pivotal role in this election. Our choice, come November, has the power to determine how much we owe after college, who we can marry, and how long we can stay on our parents’ insurance plan.
So what can the two major presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, offer us? Here are just a few key points in the election that concern our demographic.
Read MoreThe Young Politica: Will Your Vote Count? How to Make Sure Even if You Vote Absentee
Growing up, I always asked Mom lots of questions. Questions like “What does ‘superfluous’ mean?” and “What’s an endocrinologist?” were common, and quite commonly, Mom replied:
“Look it up in the dictionary.”
Nowadays, I still have questions. They’re a little more difficult for Mom to answer, so her reply is more like:
“Look it up on the Internet.”
It’s very easy to give up on answering a question when the answer is not easily found. From questions in an exam, to solving a problem with university administration, to learning how to vote, I’ve found myself at bottomless pits of questions that don’t have answers on SparkNotes.com or FAQ pages.
I was in this predicament when I attempted to vote through an absentee ballot. I didn’t know how to get a hold of a ballot or where to vote or what to send. I was clueless! I expected that all of the information would be readily available on one government website, which would make it easier for college students.
I was wrong.
Read MoreThe Young Politica: Introducing Maegan’s New Column!
I’m delighted to announce exciting news here on Heartfeldt: a weekly column by Maegan Vasquez. She introduces herself in this first post (a smart and sassy one, I think you’ll agree), so I’ll only say how pleased I am to have her young woman’s lens on all things political. And from a fellow Texan, no less! Join the conversation with Maegan every week and share widely. Take it away, Maegan:
Welcome to my new column!
My name is Maegan Vazquez. I was born in Laredo, Texas, and I am currently a sophomore at New York University, majoring in journalism.
This weekly column aims to shed some light on college-centric politics. It’s an effort to educate prospective first-time female voters on issues that are pertinent to their demographic. The pieces are part investigative journalism, part Q&A, and part self-discovery.
It’s not that the college-aged female voter needs to be coddled into learning the basics of the political arena.
She just has to be informed so she can make a smart decision, because that decision has the potential to dramatically change her life.
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