As both a college student and 19-year-old, I feel as if I am constantly reminded that it is my civic duty to society to get out and vote. With this upcoming election, the reminder is heard more and more often. I began to take matters into my own hands, and started educating myself on this topic.

At the time, it was the Democratic side with Hilary Clinton, Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders, and the Republic side with Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, etc. and the Independent Party. There was a variety of people to become informed on, but mainly their standpoints on different topics was the most important.

From there I started watching the candidates at public events speaking to crowds, hearing what they had to say. I tried to stray away from social media as I found that it bent the truth, of their direct words. As a UNH student, my school began to host the candidates to publicly speak to citizens in the area. I first heard about Hilary Clinton coming, and I decided to skip my first class (sorry mom) and hear what she had to say. I ended up out of the huge line, managing to get a spot in the small room, listening to different topics targeted in NH area. At the end of her speech I got the opportunity to get a picture with her.

The following Sunday, Bernie Sanders (who is currently out of the race) made an appearance, and again I sat patiently listening to his ideas and opinions. There I am, directly behind his head.

Unfortunately, the Republican party never made an appearance that I was informed about, so I continued to watch on the news as to what they had to say. A few months later, UNH also hosted a Democratic debate right on campus, which I watched from my dorm room.

I started struggling, as its so uncommon to fall in-between two parties. I would listen to something one candidate would say, and agree with 100 percent, and then find another standpoint, and agree with it as well. From there, I eventually picked who I wanted to stand behind, yet I find it something I keep close to me today. The way I find society works with politics, if you don’t agree with someone’s standpoint, you’re wrong. Therefore, I have decided to keep my own political candidate that I will be voting for, to myself. It doesn’t make any one a bad person if they want one person to win over the other and I hope eventually people will begin to see that, they just have different views.