By Joshua Phelps
The Scene staff
Some people think the November midterm election is one of the most important elections in American history, but many Forest Park students aren’t engaged or informed, according to a random survey by The Scene.
General studies student Jodi Chilcutt, 21, doesn’t even plan to vote.
“I just don’t care about politics,” she said.
General transfer student Kia Coffee, 20, plans to vote, but hasn’t looked too deep at the issues or candidates because her semester has been so busy.
“I’d like to see who they are, what they’re campaigning for,” she said. “I think as long as you have human decency in your mind … There’s so many people who ignore that. Just be equal, that’s what I look for.”
Communications major Reggie Austin, 21, plans to vote and to choose candidates who are Democrat because that’s the party his parents support.
“My mom is really pressing me to vote,” he said. “I have zero interest in politics. But my mom and dad, they really want me to start getting into it.”
The election will be held on Nov. 6. American voters will be choosing all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 members of the U.S. Senate, in addition to state and local officials.
Oct. 10 was the last day to register to vote in Missouri. Two volunteers from Clayton Huddle, a progressive grassroots organization, held a registration drive in the campus courtyard.
“It’s the most important election of our lifetime,” said volunteer Jen Habetler. “We need to put a check on power right now.”
Habetler said she plans to vote for U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, who is running for re-election against Republican Josh Hawley, Missouri’s attorney general.
“We want accountability at the federal level,” said fellow volunteer Michelle Horwitz. “And the best thing we can do right now is have a strong Democratic defense, and that means voting (for) Claire McCaskill and returning her to hold accountability and stop the extremism at the national level as best as she can. She’s a key vote, a key senator, and I think she’s the best option we have right now.”
Forest Park psychology major Farah Alhambe, 19, also thinks it’s important to vote.
“We are a future generation,” she said. “I think we should start to get more involved in politics and voting.”
However, Alhambe hasn’t researched the issues or candidates and figures her progressive voice will get drowned out in Missouri, where Donald Trump won by 18 points over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
“I’m not Republican,” Alhambe said. “It’s not like my (vote) is going to count.”
Art major Shelby Prutt, a student in his late 80s, said he votes in every election to voice his opinion.
“How else are you going to convey your feelings, other than by voting?” he asked.
Nov. 6 will be the first election for clinical lab sciences major Tariq Ahmad, who is 18, and he strongly dislikes the Republicans in power.
“The idiots above are screwing everything up,” he said. “The Brett Kavanaugh situation … They basically placed a rapist drunkard up in the Supreme Court.”
Nursing student Malika Brooks, 20, doesn’t plan to vote in the election.
“I’m one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” she said. “I don’t get involved in politics.”
Graphics major Daison Williams, 18, will “try” to vote.
“If I were to vote, I’d vote to see if somebody can make (our country) better than it already is,” he said.
General studies student Shyanne Streets, 21, didn’t know on Oct. 10 if she was registered to vote. But she said she thinks elections are important.
“It’s an influencing decision on the outcome of our future,” she said.