Something happened last night that I had never expected: I actually had positive thoughts towards politics, and it wasn’t even because of an SNL skit. When I first heard of our task for class this week, I was unhappy and actually upset that I had to engage in something political. I have never liked politics and tried to stay as far away from them as possible. This was the case up until last night, when I saw how important this election was to those around me, and how it was affecting them.
Obviously this election is a big deal, and I wouldn’t doubt that for a second, but I literally could not escape it last night. So, I set out to find what the big deal was and why it did not have an impact on me. (Or maybe I felt guilty for not having yet completed our class assignment.) I joined my friends in the lounge and watched the results flood in. Once Obama took California, everyone around me went crazy. People were yelling, jumping up and down, calling their family and friends, and a few were even crying. For the first time it hit me. This could possibly be the most important election of my lifetime and I did not even have the desire to register to vote.
I think the main reason why I never felt strongly about politics is because of my lack of exposure to the subject. When I am living at school, I do not own or have time to watch TV. While I am home, I am either sleeping or visiting family, and the last thing I am thinking about is watching the news. Also, I do not read newspapers or online news articles. Most of my disinterest is because of my disconnection to the candidates and their views. Before yesterday, I could not even tell you one thing Obama or McCain stands for. But after watching both the speeches following Obama being announced as the newly elected president, I have nothing but respect for what these two men do, even if I still don’t exactly know what they want for the country.
Honestly, I am super excited to see what happens to our country with a black president. America has spoken and we are ready for change. Obama is young and willing to change things from the traditional views. He is one of the bravest people I have ever seen and I sincerely hope he will succeed in office. Plus, he’s a great father and that automatically gets my vote. Last night, history was made. I am SO glad I decided to be a part of it. ☺
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This same idea holds true in the classroom. I think it is very important to educate students on a variety of topics so they will have knowledge in many different areas. Without any information, they can be easily turned off from the idea of learning something new. Just as I learned from this election, the minute I opened up to politics and saw it in a different light, it became interesting and something I wanted to know more about.
Find that fun in new subjects for your students- if it worked at 20, I'm sure it'll work for 2, 12, or 62.
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