With the Nov. 3 midterm elections approaching, there’s plenty to watch—from the fight for control of Congress to California ballot propositions that could affect students’ education, housing and cost of living. This election comes at a pivotal moment in national politics, with voters weighing the direction of the country and the policies that will shape their futures.
But which issues matter most to Toros? The Bulletin spoke with people on campus to learn what they’re paying attention to ahead of Election Day.
Editor’s note: Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Hazel Roman
Freshman, Psychology
“I have mixed feelings, because I don’t really pay attention to the little things—mostly the big things, like the ICE raids and stuff like that. I feel like everyone’s here equally. Everyone should be able to be here.”
Andares Martinez Gonzalez
Junior, Social Science Education
“Affordability is always something on the forefront of my mind. I never think, ‘How can I push back on my job to finish my education?’ It’s the other way around. What can I cut on my education for the year in order to continue working and stay sustainable? … It feels like things are only getting more expensive.”
Amy Mota
Sophomore, Child Development
“I think one of the important issues would probably be taxes…I know a lot of students that do work. They say, ‘I need money to pay for this, and I need money to pay for that.’ … They can’t focus on school because, ‘No, I gotta go work more because I need to make more money’.”
Omar Arteaga
Graduate Student, TESOL
“I want to teach international students. With the current administration, obviously, they have not taken too kindly to foreigners. So, there won’t be as many jobs here in the U.S. as there once were. If you want to pursue this career I’m pursuing, like teaching English, you’ll most likely have to get a job overseas.”
Ariel Copado
Senior, Sociology
“Just being a social worker is hard enough because there are limited resources for the amount of people that need those resources. I think there are going to be a lot of changes that are going to make it more difficult for us to help the communities as much as possible and get them the help that they need.”