BY CALEB KEYES

On November 4, polling places will be flooded with patriots, citizens, and Mariemont seniors.

According to Government teacher David Wolfford, “less than 20 percent” of the senior class can vote, though many of those students “don’t feel informed and confident enough to cast a vote.”

Joseph Hu, one of the seniors with the ability to vote this fall, feels conflicted about his new right.

“I’m neutral about it. I am glad I can vote, but I am too lazy to vote,” Hu says.

 This feeling seems to parallel many previous high schoolers.

“During last May’s primary election, when nearly 100% of the class of 2014 could vote, there was more apathy than anticipation,” Wolfford said.

This disinterest is partly due to the stance the media is taking on politics.

“The media generally gives us all a bad impression of politicians, candidates, and the government. Much of it is deserved, but sometimes the media goes overboard on emphasizing the trash-talking between parties and the reasonable and expected disagreements in the halls of government. This seems to have contributed to the apathy,” Wolfford said.

“Mr. Wolfford definitely knows what he is talking about,” Caleb Middlebrook, a senior who plans to vote this fall, said.

“I believe commercials may be misleading because they are often just negatively portraying the other candidate without reflecting actual policies,” Middlebrook said. 

Despite his views of the commercials, Middlebrook is excited to vote in the coming election. 

“It feels like one of the final transitions in my life from being a teenager to an adult, and it is my first chance to really feel like I am contributing to society politically.”