rm
//A3
highlighter\\news
September 14, 2012
Historic campaign stop Obama first sitting President to visit city by Cam Chorpenning//editor-in-chief
On Aug. 28, Fort Collins history was made. Barack Obama’s visit to Colorado State University marked the first time a sitting president has visited Fort Collins, but the rally meant a great deal more than just a first for the town. It signified a new level of importance for the entire state of Colorado, particularly its young voters. “In my lifetime Colorado’s never been a swing state,” Government teacher Tom List said. However, now it seems that Colorado has a larger role to play, given that, because of its history as a red state and its unusual support for Obama during the 2008 election, the state could prove to be a vital asset to either candidate in the upcoming election. “Colorado could decide the election. It could come down to our nine puny, little votes,” List said. The significance of the visit doesn’t end there. The visit to CSU also demonstrates Obama’s keen interest in attracting young voters. During his speech, Obama catered directly to college students, those bound for college, and the youth population in general. “There was a fair amount about the younger generation, how the younger generation is what got him elected the first time, and how he needs them again, and how he’s making it easier for students. They seemed pretty into it,” senior Taylor Hitchings, who attended the rally, said. “I’ve taught government every year I’ve been here, and I’ve seen the pendulum shift back and forth between kids that are really caring about the issues of the day, and where kids are more inwardly focused on just being kids,” List said, “This is probably just Rocky, or maybe it’s just Fort Collins, but I’ve never worked with kids more active or more aware of what’s going on.”
“
Colora-
do could decide the election. It could come down to our nine puny, little votes.
Tom List, government teacher
With knowledge comes power, and the youth of the nation, particularly in swing states like Colorado, hold a great deal of power over the presidential candidates. Because voters in the 18-24 age group have the lowest turnout rates, their votes are “ripe for the picking” as List put it. Therefore, the young voters can easily dictate certain stances that candidates may have on issues, such as federal student loans, that directly affect them. “Barack Obama probably wouldn’t have won without the young people’s vote in ’08, but the polling shows that that’s slipping this time, and the goal of the campaign is to mobilize young people for the ’12 election like they were for the ’08 election,” List said. “So I guess in ’08 it was ‘what’re the youth going to do for this campaign?’ and in ’12 it’s ‘what’s this campaign going to do for you?’” “What’s this campaign going to do for you?” is a very valid question. Americans are familiar with politicians who are unable to deliver on promises made during the campaign season, and young people have every reason to be skeptical of what Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney say they will do for the younger population. The power that young people hold in this election is immense.This skepticism and a critical eye for politics may very well be essential in the choice voters will eventually make, and the heightened political interest among youth that List has observed suggests an even stronger and larger voting
Historic oration: President Barack Obama (top) speaks to a crowd at Colorado State University on Aug. 28. Obama’s message was focused mainly on student loans and the role young people play in America and the role they will play in the upcoming election. A supporter raises a sign at the rally (left).
Megan Shaw
force that will carry even greater importance in this fall’s election. List compares the political atmosphere among young people to rock candy: “You put so much sugar in water and dissolve it, it’s still liquid, but it’s just waiting for something to stick to, and then
Michelle’s Musings
Michelle Kennedy
Isaac Effner
Scientists at work: Junior Richard Cava (left) and senior Tyler Wood place a swab sample in a petri dish. The students swabbed different areas throughout the school to discover which areas had the most bacteria.
In-state college fair Tuesday On Tuesday, the In-State College Fair will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Commons. This fair will host 22 Colorado schools. For more information email Nicole Wilgenbusch at nwilgenb@ psdschools.org.
//Cammie Palomino
Megan Shaw
In 1969, Americans crowded around TV sets and watched in amazement as Neil Armstrong took human kind’s first step on the moon. Children dreamed of becoming astronauts and having the opportunity to explore the frontiers of space, but as time passed this dream became more and more unreasonable. On Aug. 25, the face of the American space program, Armstrong, passed away, and one could argue that the vitality of the space program perished as well. The excitement and joy of space exploration has become obsolete in the eyes of the majority of American society. Why has the importance of
it’s going to crystallize,” List said. Some of the young people will “stick to” Obama, and others to Romney, but regardless of whom they support, the youth will wield a tremendous amount of power in the presidential election, whether they are of voting age or not.
“Vote!” List said. “Register! Every member of the student body at Rocky has political influence. They might not have the right to vote, but they have political influence. Therefore, they should educate themselves, and educate the people around them.”
Armstrong represented \\ space program’s glory days space research—an activity that has the potential to drastically change the world for the better—dissolved? From GPS to miniaturized heart pumps to bomb disarming robots, the technological offspring of NASA’s research has drastically enriched the standard of living in America. Yet, without funding, the organization’s ability to make advancements is limited. In 2010, NASA’s budget was cut so drastically that the chance for any manned shuttle missions became impossible, certifiably ending American astronauts’ participation with the International Space Station. Now, astronauts must rely on space
programs of foreign countries if they wish to travel into space. The decline of the Space Program is an unfortunate development for many reasons. It decreases jobs, lowers the number of scientific advancements, but most importantly, it eliminates opportunities for future generations to appreciate the enigmas of the universe. “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.” -Neil Armstrong Michelle Kennedy is a senior and the features editor for the RM Highlighter.