The Hewitt seniors who turn 18 before October 14th, the voting registration deadline, have already started thinking of whom they’re going to vote for based on who they see best fit to be the next President of the United States. Though there are only two Hewitt students in the graduating class of 2017 that are eligible to vote in this coming election, they have much to say about the importance of voting, what they value in a candidate, and how going to an all girls school affects their view on there being a female candidate for president.
Patricia O. ‘17 firmly believes that voting is an “obligation”, and that she values honesty and loyalty in a candidate. In relation to this presidential race, she believes candidates should not be judged “based on their looks [and] unimportant factors that don’t relate to his or her thinking and actions on issues.” She continues on to say how instead, “one should judge based on political opinions and character.”
Similarly to Patricia’s thoughts on qualities she finds important in a candidate, senior Stephanie S. ’17 agrees, stating how “people need to make sure that the candidate someone votes for has actual plans for a better America that are backed up by evidence and careful thought, not just empty promises.”
As Hewitt students attending an all girls school, Patricia believes that it does change the perspective on the female candidate, Hillary Clinton.
Source: ABC News
Patricia believes if she didn’t attend an all girls school, she wouldn’t have “realized the importance of having the first female presidential candidate in the United States.” She reports feeling “absolutely shocked and saddened” of how in the past there is has been “absence” of female candidates in presidential elections, as she is “surrounded by female leaders in [her] daily life.”
As a senior who cannot vote in the November election, Stephanie states how this election has become “such a circus that people can’t see what is being said.”
As the 2016 November presidential election nears and the candidates’ campaigns come to a close, discussion and conversations emerge in class discussions. As students attending an all girls school, we can all understand the importance of Hillary Clinton being the first female candidate in the general election.
Particularly regarding Trump’s alleged “locker room talk,” which you can read more about in Marlene A.’s article here, there are clearly many opposing views on the treatment of women between Clinton and Trump’s campaigns and public beliefs.
In all, the female representation in politics helps advance our strive for gender equality in that our country may finally have a woman in a position that is often achieved by men.