Student interest in politics varies in depth

Students' interest in politics varies going into an election year

Junior Kian Anderson turns on the TV and sees yet another segment comparing various Republican candidates who are campaigning for the 2012 presidential election. Anderson, already 17, will be eligible to vote come election day next November.

Student awareness and attention to politics and the next fall’s election vary, although many do dedicate the time to inform themselves, Anderson said.

Anderson believes that the mainstream media make too big a deal of such elections but said that he finds it difficult not to stay well informed.

“The media is kind of drawing [the election out]. It’s a year away,” Anderson said. “I keep up with politics because it’s just there and accessible.”

Furthermore, Anderson said that while he sometimes intentionally researches current political events, almost every media outlet distributes such information, eliminating the need for him to find the information himself.

“Wherever you go, there are people voicing their opinions,” Anderson said. “It’s a bit of TV, it’s a bit of searching for it and it’s a bit of just running into it when you go online.”

Senior Ailene Nguyen said that politics are often a topic of discussion between her and her family. Along with reading articles on various news websites, Nguyen watches CNN every night with her parents and discusses news with them over dinner.

Having a family interested in the topic is an advantage that has further interested her in politics, she said.

“My dad used to force me to watch CNN with him, but I’ve grown to really enjoy it,” Nguyen said. “We actually have mini-competitions to see who can come up with a piece of news the other person didn’t know about. I lose a lot, but it’s pretty fun!”

Other students, on the other hand, do not give as much importance to political happenings, although they often choose to stay well informed on current events.

Senior Chris Jones said that he rarely watches TV or pursues information online regarding current politics. Instead, he stays informed on local and world events by reading the San Jose Mercury News every morning.

Certain satirical programs about politics have appealed to high school students for several years. Senior Salmaan Javed said the Comedy Central programs “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” are both informative and humorous. Such programs do succeed in informing viewers of the actual news but are better when watched along with dedicated news programs as well, Javed said.

Reasons for staying up-to-date on a topic such as politics vary, but Nguyen said it was especially important for the current senior class.

“A lot of us will be voting in the next election,” Nguyen said. “Instead of just voting blindly, I think it’s important that we actually know what we’re voting for.”