As primary elections in New York approach on April 19th, Millennium Brooklyn students and the rest of America’s youth might be pondering their political stance and the importance of it for the first time in their lives.

Whether it’s funny memes on Instagram and Twitter, politically charged seminars in Government or hearing senior Chance Landesman chanting “Feel the Bern!” during Advisory, I know this presidential election has been playing a huge role in my and my peers lives. And why shouldn’t it? For most of the seniors and some juniors at MBHS, and throughout the United States, it will be our very first time to partake in voting for the next president of this nation! After years of being told we’re too young, naïve, or simply not knowledgeable enough to contribute to politics, we finally get a chance to have a voice. I know I’m ecstatic by this opportunity and by the looks of my Twitter timeline and recent polls, young adults are taking the stance to be a part of and progressively reshape the balance of political power.

Millennials, Americans who are 18 to 34 years of age, are now the largest and most diverse group of individuals in the United States totaling over 75 million people. A Pew Research Center study shows that over 60% of millennials receive their political news from outlets like Facebook or The Daily Show. These outlets typically promote a left wing or liberal perspective. In Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire, over 80% of voters under 30 years old voted for democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders during their primary presidential elections. Whatever momentum Sanders is gaining in this election has a lot to do with his young liberal supporters.

Although a lot of the youth seem pretty involved in this election, others are questioning their involvement. “I just don’t see the point, how will my vote make any difference?” a senior who prefers to stay unnamed asked. This is a common and valid perspective from millennials and majority of American voters who see no value in voting. Yes, a single vote won’t change who is elected as the next President of the United States; however, you have thousands of citizens with this exact mindset and it inevitably makes a massive difference.   

Senior Israt Hoque, who’s registered and planning to vote in this primary and national election tells me, “I think it’s my moral obligation to vote. I’m like a triple threat: a part of the youth, a woman and a person of color. Not only does this literally affect the events that will occur in the next four years of my life, but, not too long ago, as a woman and person of color, no matter my age, I wouldn’t have been allowed to vote at all.”

Some question if the youth is really entitled or merely unreliable. IB Times states “We need to recognize that this generation is facing high student debt. We are facing high unemployment and we are seeing that all our opportunities are being eroded too often by policies at the federal and even the state level…”

I can understand why a millennial would not participate in an election because they feel as if our government does not care or hear us. However, this notion can be flipped by saying, if, as a youth, we work together to form a strong collective force, demand our voices to be heard, and progressively take action and initiative, change will come.

Athletic director at Millennium High School, Brian Friedman, suggests that there are certain tactics to get more out of the youth vote. He says, “When they make people able to vote on their phones, they’ll get a 99% voting turnout. Until then, this antiquated system will only draw out the dinosaurs and the uber politically active.”