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‘Life in a college town’ … The value of politics

I am a political science student and everyone I meet wants to know if I am going to be or want to be President of the United States one day.

The answer is no. Studying politics is about a lot more than the presidency, it’s about studying people to see what they’re going to do next. Political scientists study the way people vote, the way governments are run and the way governments rise and fall around the world.

Different people are gaining power while some countries are going into mass chaos, that’s why I love politics. I enjoy the studying the constant change of the world because it always is something new and different.

People go to college to get qualified for better jobs. Political science majors, for example, are prepared to collect and interpret data for businesses or politicians, go to law school, become lobbyist, manage campaigns, work in the foreign service or run for office. They also can go on to teach high school social science or teach at the college level.

My dream job is to become Secretary of State, but either way, I want to travel around the world, advocating for the United States while meeting with world leaders.

Mansfield is a small town. The people seem to think they are immune from state, national and international politics. They’re not. I am learning how politics affects everyone and how they can use politics to make their lives better. Even people in small out-of-the-way places can make a big difference.

I can deal with listening, watching and analyzing politics because government is important. Laws, for example, are laws because government, state or federal, has enacted them. The public needs to know and understand what is passed because it is their duty to obey these laws.

People should want to be informed because they have a right to disagree with their politicians and have the freedom of speech to express their cause legally. If they don’t know what is going on, they will never know whether the law aligns with their interests or against them.

So no, I do not want to be the President of the United States, but advocating for political knowledge is something that interests me and should interest everyone.

Not only young people, but older generations too, need to see the value of politics and how it can affect even the smallest of communities.

Regis is a junior political science major with a minor in public relations at Mansfield University.

To submit a story for consideration for the “Life in a college town” feature, college students may email their school-related story to education@sun­ gazette.com.

Please include your full name, grade level, major and the local college or university that you attend. Stories should be between 350-500 words.

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