EDITORIAL: History has its eyes on you

Students should utilize their right to vote and make a difference in this election. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

Tomorrow will be students’ last chance to make a difference in this election. 

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and students should make filling out a ballot a priority. Getting involved politically in college is a unique opportunity and no one should be inactive.

Whether or not you are a fan of either presidential candidate or not, this election will have a direct impact on your future. The issues on the ballot will determine what direction our country turns, and many of the politicians will decide how we alter the economy, pay for education and get involved in foreign policy.

Grab your roommates and friends and take a drive to your polling location. Many businesses offer free or discounted services for people sporting the “I voted” sticker, so make a day of being politically active.

However, if you vote blindly, you could easily elect someone who will spend the entirety of their term working against the people they claim to represent. 

In the next four years, many of us will be deep within our careers or raising a family. Responsibility will fall heavily on our shoulders and we cannot gamble looking back on Election Day and knowing we chose to watch a few episodes on Netflix rather than go to the polls.

Election Day doesn’t end after you cast your vote. Watch parties will be held across town, with many taking place in local bars, restaurants and on campus. Thousands of people will come together to watch states go blue or red and wait with bated breath for the announcement of the victor. 

Put down the textbook for one night, get a beer with your friends and join the festivities. For one night politics, will receive the same enthusiasm as a football game — don’t risk missing out. 

This election is going to be groundbreaking. Either we will elect our first woman president or we will vote in a man who has never served public office, which has only happened four times in U.S. history — the most recent having been Dwight D. Eisenhower.

At the end of the day, voting is the only way to ensure you don’t regret being inactive in college. Elections like this are extremely rare and will undoubtedly be in the history books in years to come. 

Don’t throw away your shot to make a difference.