It’s no secret that election year is well underway, with only another five months of slandering political ads and endless speculation over which candidate will become Commander in Chief. Our nation expresses disgust that this country narrowed its dozens of initial candidates down to the two celebrity front runners. Before the campaign trail was lit up by the media, The Economist magazine predicted this very scenario we find ourselves in today. Out of all the qualified candidates, America picked two celebrities, again no surprise considering the obsession with watching the edited dramatic lives of others instead of pursuing personal endeavors for lifestyle improvement. This race was never about the politics and who will actually shake up the joke of extremist party stubborn behaviors. It has become another form of entertainment for the world to mock.

So what does our generation do now when faced with this monumental election: the political power whore who lied to the nation, or the unfiltered orange bigot who only got so far from personal wealth? My biggest advice to all the young voters, especially those like me who are voting in this election for the first time, think for yourself! While parents or friends are great for providing insight into the various confusions of our lives, selecting a president comes down to personal interest. What can this president promise for you and your concerns. Do not confuse this statement with the push to be selfish, but if your concerns are based on equality for all, think about who brings that notion upon the nation before displaying the law signs.

1. The Obvious Generational Gap

This is the most important. There’s decades between us and those who raised us. We grew up in different eras surrounded by the ideals of self-worth and equality for all. Our parents may believe in these issues, but we didn’t grow up in a world anticipating that men and women get married so the man can work and support his wife who is home with the children. We learned that “gay” should not be used as an insult, that women can have whatever career they want, that people should marry for love, and racial minorities are what this country was built on. It’s unacceptable for our generation to think any different than for everyone everywhere to be equal, and it is important to continue to progress in granting equal rights to all and avoiding steps backward in history to a time when only a white man mattered.

2. Concerns for the Future

Our generation is going to be graduating college and entering the full-time workforce, paying “adult” taxes, and many will be drowning in debt from degree pursual. We need to worry about what potential policies will affect our ability to pay off debts and save money for the future. How can we be expected to buy houses and support children if we have to support the 40 year retirements of our parents/grandparents generations? How can we save for the million dollar college educations future generations will require, when it costs thousands just in interest payments to pay the government back for loans? Our generation is unlike our parents in that the majority will not be able to financially get ahead when entering the workforce. Our generation may be the first to not accumulate more wealth than our parents. That can be a scary idea for many who do not come from wealthy families, hearing that with the system as-is, it is even harder to break those birth-right barriers.

3. The Face of Our Nation

I’ll admit to be moderately (aggressively) feminist when it comes to the majority of hot-topic issues, but how legitimately glorious would it be to have a woman as president, when women celebrate the 100th anniversary of obtaining our right to vote? Obama shook up the “traditional” white privileged male running the nation. Many would be happy to revert back to the old ways and put another white (orange) man’s portrait in the White House halls. Whoever becomes president will be the face of our nation for at least four years, which is a lot to put on a person. We should want to show the world we are in fact a progressive nation, and the “American Dream” has yet to die. Women’s empowerment is so important right now and girls need some semblance of a role model in a high power position, even if the role model has a history of internal corruption, what politician doesn’t anymore?

4. Violence in Our Time

I’d like to avoid the current gun control debate as too much of an influence at the moment, but it’s impossible to avoid the current violent state our nation and world are facing. Regardless of how you feel, it is impossible to deny that changes need to be made to protect the people in this country and strive for a safer world as a whole. The freedom to visit whatever club, restaurant, school, country, should not be taken away from us from fear of facing an unstable individual possessing a mass-murder weapon. Look for the person promising positive changes and looking to protect our nation from the inside out.

So, take your college educated mind, embrace what you learned in those liberal arts classes, poke around on Google, and really focus on what you want out of our next president and the people he/she brings into office as well. Embrace the amazing opportunity we have to participate in selecting the leadership of our nation, and please, make sure you are registered to vote before November rolls in! Simply ignoring the duty we have as Americans and not voting, is not an option. If this happens, the candidate you do not support has the opportunity to run this nation. Sign your registration forms and request an absentee ballot if you will be away at school.