October 27th was just like every other Monday morning I have had at Tech. I begrudgingly rolled out of bed in my unkempt splendor to shower and go eat breakfast before my 10am class.
Still off my weekend high of seeing Phantom of the Opera, my newly downloaded Michael Crawford album was on full blast as I sauntered to class with The Music of the Night in the background.
It wasn’t until halfway through class that I realized the importance of October 27th: it was the day Taylor Swift released her new album.
Already a buzz on Twitter, I pushed everything from the forefront of my mind. All responsibilities temporarily set in limbo, it was just a 3rd-floor library cubicle, myself, and 1989 for the next few hours.
Emerging from the experience a new person, I could easily see what the entire hullabaloo was about. My friends and I immediately started discussing our favorite songs and our renewed faith in Taylor, after she finally accepted herself into the Pop Genre.
But then my mother ruined my moment when she called.
“Don’t forget, the election is coming-up soon, honey,” she said.
I know she talked about more things, but sometimes my mind wanders off into oblivion (sorry Mom). But in my momentary trance, I was thinking, what if we all channeled the same level of enthusiasm from things like a new Taylor Swift album dropping into things like elections.
Every year, the first week in November is met with news analysts and a round of stories from reporters, discussing election projections and results.
Always included among the reports is a breakdown and postulation on the different age groups who show up to the polls and each year, the same fact stands clear: college students are the most apathetic when it comes to politics. So why should we be included at all if it seems like quadruple the number of youths care about a pop-artist album over a political battle?
I mean, yes, I get why. If we can send people into war at eighteen, surely we should give them the ability to vote (although along those same lines, why would we not extend the legal age to consume alcohol to eighteen as well if we can fight in a war and vote in elections?). But should there be something more to be done to influence the younger crowd to vote?
What if we put locks on downloading the new Taylor Swift album until someone voted? Aside from the absurdity, and causing a host of pirating and illegal downloads, there would be potential.
Regardless, as it stands now, young people just don’t care. I imagine Tech, for all of it’s smartness and active campus life, apathy would run high from ranking studies as the top priority. But in states, such as Georgia, where youth voter turnout could easily sway a decision, apathy needs to be expunged.