From the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict to the two assassination attempts against former president Donald Trump to Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, 2024 has proven to be one of the most politically memorable years in recent history. With the uncertainties of this election season coming to a head as November approaches, it can be frustrating — and, at times, even exhausting — to remain completely knowledgeable about the ever-changing political climate.
For students who aren’t studying government or public policy, or who aren’t involved in political extracurriculars such as the Dartmouth Democrats or the Dartmouth Conservatives, it can prove a challenge to stay on top of the news while balancing other commitments.
Thomas Mitchell ’27, who does not consider himself very political, is a part of that group. Mitchell explained that while he has chosen a candidate to vote for in the upcoming election, politics “doesn’t really interest” him. Instead, Mitchell keeps up with current events through TikTok and other social media platforms.
“I hear what’s going on on the [TV] and on NBC,” he said. “When [former president Trump and Vice President Harris] argue, I see it on TikTok, social media and people talk about it. I wouldn’t say I follow it, but I have a general census of what’s going on.”
Similarly, Jason Jiao ’27 also sees himself to be “in the middle” of the political engagement spectrum. Though he doesn’t consider himself an expert on current events, Jiao said he tries to keep up with the major headlines and events surrounding the election — including Trump and Harris’s Sept. 10 presidential debate.
“I keep up with current events [and] listen to The Daily podcast [from The New York Times],” Jiao said. “It would be hard to say I study [politics], but I definitely try to keep up with any big events as best I can.”
Jiao partially attributes his political attitudes to his upbringing as a first-generation American. Though his father followed Chinese politics, Jiao said he hasn’t stayed up to date with the process in the U.S.
“I didn’t really grow up in a household where I talked a lot about politics,” Jiao said.
Other students, however, became obsessed with politics after arriving on campus. Originally from Spain, Ben Casanova ’25 didn’t grow up following U.S. politics — but transformed into a full-fledged political junkie after moving to the U.S. for college.
“I wanted to understand the place I was in,” Casanova said. “Dartmouth can often feel like a bubble, and I wanted to understand what lies outside this bubble and how that is influenced by politics in general.”
Now, Casanova feels like he has researched politics “quite well,” especially when compared to other international students.
“I probably know more about U.S. politics now than about my home country’s current affairs,” Casanova said.
Though students have varying levels of political engagement, those who are less interested, like Mitchell, still have formed opinions on both major presidential candidates.
“I would say I’m definitely not voting for Trump and definitely [voting for] Kamala Harris,” Mitchell said. “I can’t support someone who’s anti-gay, anti-feminist, anti-Black people, anti-women.”
Other students have become more engaged with public affairs over time. Jiao explained that as he grew up, he began learning more about politics in both academic and social spaces.
“It’s just not really a habit I built up until I got older, and I learned about [politics] from history and government [classes] and talked to peers more,” he said. “As you get older, you also just talk about [politics] more in a more meaningful way.”
Both Jiao and Casanova also emphasized the importance of voting, even as students who would not necessarily consider themselves strongly politically engaged otherwise.
“Even if we’re not voting for the same person … [voting] is your right and you should definitely use it because it’s what gives the people power,” Jiao said. “We don’t get to make a lot of those really big decisions, and this is one of the decisions we do get to make.”
While Casanova cannot legally vote in the United States — because he is not an American citizen — he still heavily encourages any citizen to cast their ballots as a way to “call out what’s wrong with this country.”
Politically engaged Dartmouth students are not necessarily only those who are experts on government or participate in political clubs. While none of the students above participate in politics in the classroom or through extracurriculars, many still emphasize their right to vote or a desire to expand their knowledge of politics.
“I think it’s up to us, in a way, [as] the next generation of leaders to start enabling those changes to take place,” Casanova said.
