Write Stripes

Here are other pieces of advice:

FarkleRed0409: This is the Homosexual Marriage Group
FarkleRed0409: The most feedback that we received was to include true stories and statistics

AdamTheSerf: rotating hotfact - like your quote system
TEDDIFISH: I'm not sure what you mean.
AdamTheSerf: we were going to have interesting facts for our topic on the mainpage -- to hook people in, instead of having a list or just one, we're going to try to write a script to rotate through a list for us
AdamTheSerf: so everytime someone comes, it'll be something different.

onering042: this is the wot group...we "grouped up" with the social security group. their main concerns were that (1)our history part of the page didn't include all of the terrorist-type attacks and (2)we already have a layout, and it might not "flow" with the main page and the other groups' pages
TEDDIFISH: Good. What will you do with that info?
onering042: well, adam gave cortney more suggestions on attacks to research
onering042: but we're not really sure to do with the layout
onering042: because other groups don't have their web pages ready
onering042: so it's hard to work together on that part and get some symmetry among them
onering042: should all the pages have the same theme?
TEDDIFISH: I need to get you guys access to the stuff from last semester. I'll do that on the next day I make it in.
onering042: okay, that would help
TEDDIFISH: They should all have some common element.

Lots of good advice. Good job!

Here's the transcript from Thursday's class

TEDDIFISH: Hey--are you there?
BranTrax: yep
TEDDIFISH: Would you please extend my apologies to the folks who were going to present today?
TEDDIFISH: I really thought I would be ok to come in. I'm very frustrated, especially since I know I am disrupting this class.
BranTrax: it's ok, we're just worried about you
TEDDIFISH: We're going to do something different today.

BranTrax: should I switch computers? I'm not on the teacher computer
TEDDIFISH: Don't worry. Eventually this will work itself out. I'm just frustrated that it's going so slowly.
TEDDIFISH: Yes please.
BranTrax: ok, brb
BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: Great. Thank you.

TEDDIFISH: I'm sorry about this, everybody. I thought I'd be able to be there.
TEDDIFISH: Presenters, you have my apologies. You will go on Tuesday, and next week's presenters will go on Thursday.
TEDDIFISH: We're going to do something different today.

BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: Do we have an even or odd number of groups?
BranTrax: what about papers?
BranTrax: groups for what?
BranTrax: 4 groups for collaborative project
TEDDIFISH: I am going to have my husband bring them up. I will e-mail you guys when they are at my office (on the door.)
BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: OK good. I need two of the groups to bring up all of the things that they have for their site.
BranTrax: sounds good, thanks
BranTrax: we don't follow. bring up to where?
TEDDIFISH: Then I want you to take the folks in the other two groups through them (1 at a time, so you'll do it twice)
BranTrax: also, do you want me to put our group proposal on your door? I forgot to give it to you Tues
TEDDIFISH: Bring up on your own computer screens
TEDDIFISH: Sort of a mini-presentation--showing what you've done so far.
BranTrax: just to show the class what we have so far?
BranTrax: ok
BranTrax: we're going to start that
TEDDIFISH: Yes. Then after you've seen what the other groups have, I want each group to come up with 3 questions and 3 suggestions. (in writing.)
BranTrax: for each group?
BranTrax: questions about what?
TEDDIFISH: The idea is that you are really a good test audience for each other (peer critique). Yes, one on one, so that each group gets to see one other group's work (during the class period,)
TEDDIFISH: Questions that are raised by the work you have so far.
BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: In other words, what else do you want to know? What puzzles you? What is missing?
BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: Let me know if you have questions.

TEDDIFISH: (Other folks can IM as well.)
BranTrax: I'm going to switch computers so the groups can sign on here and pull up their stuff
BranTrax: do you want us to send you our questions/ suggestions or just give them to the groups?
TEDDIFISH: OK, but you don't have to put it on the big screen. Groups can just bring it up on the little computers.
TEDDIFISH: Just give them to the groups. (Everyone should keep these to turn in with their work.)
BranTrax: well, for everyone to see it, it's easier to put on the big screen
TEDDIFISH: Not everyone has to see it. Just one group with one other group.
BranTrax: ohhhh
BranTrax: ok
BranTrax: so only one group will look at another group's?
TEDDIFISH: Yes.
BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: Then you'll switch and that group will look at the other group's stuff.
BranTrax: we're gonna do that
BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: OK. :-)
BranTrax: we're pairing up stem cell- marriage and war-SS
TEDDIFISH: Sounds good.
BranTrax: there is concern here
BranTrax: someone will IM you
TEDDIFISH: OK--tell me about it.

BranTrax: not all groups have stuff on the web yet
TEDDIFISH: It doesn't have to be on the web.
TEDDIFISH: Think of this as a progress report.
BranTrax: ok
TEDDIFISH: AdamTheSerf: We are concerned that you may not realize that our timeline requires us to basically only have research at this point.
TEDDIFISH: That's fine. That's why you are leading another group through it rather than having them go thro
TEDDIFISH: through it by themselves like we'll be doing later.
TEDDIFISH: (Sorry.)
TEDDIFISH: We're doing this now so that you know how to "fill out" your research.
TEDDIFISH: Much better to know now while you're still figuring out exactly how to put your site together than later, when you have to "retrofit."
TEDDIFISH: At then end of this peer critique (which should take a while if you're doing it correctly) I'd like each group to tell me the most valuable feedback they've gotten today.
BranTrax: each group, as they finish, will IM you the most important feedback
BranTrax: stem cell research group- the best and most useful advice we got from the homosexual marriage group was to condense our information more
BranTrax: also known as "the gay group"
TEDDIFISH: OK
TEDDIFISH: (Sorry. I'm lagging somehow.)
BranTrax: group's are working on web page layout now
BranTrax: that's fine
TEDDIFISH: Very good.
BranTrax: groups, not group's
TEDDIFISH: There has been exciting news for each group (except the SS group, I think, although I may have missed some news.) Have you all been able to incorporate it into your work? (You don't have to answer until you're coming up here anyway. Don't let me interrupt your work.)
TEDDIFISH: Here's another thing for you to think about: What of the advice that you gave the other group could you also apply to your own work? (You don't have to tell me, but you should think about it.)
BranTrax: people want to know if we're done
TEDDIFISH: If you're finished, then yes.
BranTrax: ok, great!
TEDDIFISH: Please reiterate my apologies to the presenters. They will go Tuesday.
BranTrax: ok
BranTrax: and we'll be looking for the email about our papers
TEDDIFISH: Next week's presenters will go Thursday.
TEDDIFISH: Have a great weekend and thank you for your understanding and cooperatiion
TEDDIFISH: cooperation.
BranTrax: ok, you too! feel better!
TEDDIFISH: Thanks!
TEDDIFISH: Will you post this one?
BranTrax: oops, deleted it
BranTrax: I have got to stop doing that!
TEDDIFISH: OK, I've got it.
BranTrax: thanks
TEDDIFISH: That's ok.
TEDDIFISH: Bye everyone!
BranTrax: bye

A percentage of the people I asked didn't have any opinion because they either had no interest in politics or they didn't have enough time to learn anything about what's going on. Overwhelmingly, the people I asked hated that candidtates make empty promises that they don't keep (or never even plan on keeping) and that they never catch any consequences for doing so. Also, they didn't like the fact that a large chunk of candidates' campaigns centered around slandering all the other campaigners. If they take the time to learn about the candidates so they can have an informed opinion, they want to know what the candidates think on issues, not how much dirt (true or otherwise) they can dig up (or make up) about the other candidates.

A percentage of the people I asked didn't have any opinion because they either had no interest in politics or they didn't have enough time to learn anything about what's going on. Overwhelmingly, the people I asked hated that candidtates make empty promises that they don't keep (or never even plan on keeping) and that they never catch any consequences for doing so. Also, they didn't like the fact that a large chunk of candidates' campaigns centered around slandering all the other campaigners. If they take the time to learn about the candidates so they can have an informed opinion, they want to know what the candidates think on issues, not how much dirt (true or otherwise) they can dig up (or make up) about the other candidates.

Like many other people my most common response was dishonesty and a general sense of being fake. Many candidates try to hard to appeal to everyone, and often times this is very obvious to the general public. Candidates always make promises and once elected usually fail to make good on these promises. I think that a candidate who is trustworthy and naturally likeable is the most likely to win the favor of college students. Making lies in order to get votes is just unacceptable and hopefully in the long run, such candidates will not get elected.

When I polled my friends again, I got similar responses from everyone. It seems that most people do not like two faced candidate. A candidate personality is also very important. If the candidate does not have a good personality, then most people are turned off by them. Students also do not like when a candidate says they plan to change a lot of things. Most people like things the way they are. The only issue that anyone seemed to care about was the homosexual marriage issue. The people I polled said that if a candidate supported homosexual marriage that they would question their support for that candidate. It also seems that age has a factor with college students. Most college students are turned off by older candidate. Students feel that older candidate can not relate to them.

I got a couple of different responses when asking about what turned students off to candidates. A lot of folks said that negativity was a factor in turning them away from candidates. People often see negative ads or speeches as a way for candidates to not have to generate their own good ideas. Instead of coming up with solid platforms they simply attack another candidate's record or reputation. Another was the "liar or cheater" kind of perception. That tends to come more from the conservative students. Feeling distrust towards a candidate for any reason tends to keep people from being willing to listen to them.

When surveying students I found that "mudslinging" candidates completely turned a student off. Many believed that filling televised airtime with personal dislikes of other candidates did not tackle the problem at hand - what the issues are. Many students were sick of hearing about "what Bush did wrong again" and would rather hear what the other presidential candidates are willing to do to fix it. Among issues that students were tired of hearing were -abortion (as not every American will ever agree on terms outlined by the government), weapons of mass destruction, and our involvement in other country's perils. Many of the students were perturbed at the notion of sending our men to fight for other countries and our money to finance the rebuilding of unsafe nations.

The majority of people I spoke to said that what turned them off against a candidate was usually the candidate's opinion about an issue. However, most of them did not look up the candidate's position on the issue, but heard about it in other ways. When a position or controversy comes out in the news, the students hear about it and get turned off in that manner. One student told me that she got turned off by Bush because of the controversy over the WMD. Appearance of the candidates is also important to the people I questioned. They want someone who looks strong and healthy and "like the leader of the free world," according to one guy. Actions by the candidates also can affect the student voters, such as Howard Dean's screaming after the Iowa caucus, as I learned.

(Next week's first blog prompt) OK, out of everything you have been posting for the past couple of weeks, I want each group to post three "best practices" rules for creating this website. (You can think of it as a 15 commandments (5 groups?) for creating an informed, informative political website.) Remember, 3 per group. (Let me know in your post who is contributing. By the end of the semester, I may have forgotten the groups.)
T. F.

Hello everyone,

I wanted to let you know that there is about a 50/50 chance that I will not be able to be with you in person tomorrow. Tuesday was a good day for me but today was not, so I don't know what to expect for tomorrow. If I can't be there in person, we will do our regular virtual class. Thank you for your continued kind messages and (especially) for your patience.

T. F.

When polling Clemson students once again about their views of the political system in our country, I found that one of the biggest complaints from students about the candidates is that the candidates are fake. They don't get the feel from the candidates that they really care about getting in office to make the policies and help this country, and that it's more about the rat race of the election to see who can beat who. In the presidential debates and primaries and everything, its a time for the candidates to express their views and stances on issues, but sometimes it turns into the candidates battling against each other and it just seems like all they really care about doing is "winning" and "providing that they are right." Others that I talked to were pretty honest and said that the whole political system, from the candidates to the way political subjects are introduced in the media, just don't interest them at all. One of my friends said that the issues don't reach him on a personal level and that he could really care less about it.

A few students I spoke with about this topic reported that they basically would support a candidate who is an overall good rhetor that represents their views. Even if a candidate has the same set of values as we do, we frequently are turned off by candidates who appear to have little to no speaking ability. A candidate must also find a balance between being too controversial and being too "safe". If a candidate is known to support or oppose certain issues, students would prefer that the candidates just come out and declare their opinions instead of bouncing around the issue to avoid losing votes. Also, in terms of the way political issues are presented, different news media are sometimes biased towards one political party and will present issues in a way that looks best for their objective. Students said that they prefer nonbiased news sources because they are given an opportunity to form their own opinions.

I have found that anyone who even remotely preaches to his audience is not liked by the college students. Also, anyone who talks too much about the past or adhering to the past is not likely to get a receptive audience. The candidates that seem to get the most attention in college circles are those that are innovative (i.e. Dean and his web-campaign) and younger candidates (i.e. Edwards). We have a definite advantage here as we are using a student friendly medium, the internet, and we are speaking with them from a like viewpoint; a fellow student.

I'm sorry this is late... I've been struggling with pneumonia the past week or so and I admit I have fallen a bit behind! I'm finally catching up! A frightening number of the people I asked about voting said they don't vote. I asked if they would register to vote before the next elections and I heard responses ranging from "I don't want to register because I don't want to have to do jury duty" to "I won't vote until I'm married and my husband tells me who to vote for." None of them were acceptable from my vantage point as a Political Science major. A couple of people said they would vote for whoever ran against George Bush just so he wasn't in office anymore; and on the opposing side, some said they would vote for Bush regardless of who ran against him because he was a 'good republican' with conservative views and 'All American' values. All in all, it appears that the people I spoke with are relatively uninformed about the actual issues regarding the election and could use an informative webpage!

A lot of my friends are conservative in lifestyle. This also means that a lot of my friends are republicans. They seemed to feel that the news coverage is greatly biased against conservative views. One person stated that the nightly news is clearly slanted in a liberal light. I also share this view. This was the biggest beef with the way that issues are reported in the mainstream media. My friends seemed to think that the job of the media is just to present the information not their opinion. By selectively only showing one side of the issue the news is unfairly influencing people. Our website definetly needs to show both sides of any issue that is addressed. This will enable the students to get the information that they need without having to fight outside influence. I hope that this website will provide a fair unbiased information source.I feel that this is the most important aspect of the website. Over opinionated reporting turns more people away than it brings in.

Most of the people I talked to were very turned off by the fakeness of candidates. They talked about how many of the candidates seem to make campaign promises that are never delivered. This actually was one of the reasons that some people said they didnt keep up with elections anymore. They felt that many of the candidates were just trying to get votes as opposed to making policies that help our country. This dishonesty turns lots of people off to politics. Also, some people commented that they were turned off by certain speakers that seemed to be "giving a speech." They liked the candidates that seemed to have a little more humor and seemed to be speaking in a way that told the answer, and not in a way that told people what they wanted to hear if that makes sense.

It took me a while to get my data for the first post for the week, so here goes:
1) War / foreign policy - Whether it was the "we need to rebuild or relationships with our allies" line, or the "we can't be soft on terrorism" one, this issues was at the forefront of everyone's mind.

2) Economy - Again, almost everyone said a candidate's economic policy was important. They wanted to know where he stood on taxes and foreign trade. Everyone at Clemson from my home town was interested in outsourcing, since we're a manufacturing town with constant rumors of mills closing up shop.

3) The candidate not being George Bush - Hey, I didn't egg them on for a real issue. Many of my friends reject essentially every policy Bush has. Some agreed on one or two issues.

4) Research and development - This was the issue that surprised me, but 4 / 10 people I talked to brought it up. Appearantly there is concern that Bush isn't promoting scientific research. I suppose this is a reasonable concern coming from a school with such a strong engineering and science program, but it has been a complete non-issue in the news.

That's about it. There were a few other utterances. My Catholic friends wanted to know about abortion, for example, and my roommate wants a president who is "opposed to globalization." Only one of my friends is voting because of the candidate's party. When I asked her why she was voting Republican no matter what, she said "George Bush is so cute."

It was very disturbing.

The most common response I got was a general disgust with dishonesty. This really doesn't suprise me a tremendous amount, and I think that it would be the response you would get if you were to sample any population, no matter what the age. However, I do think that dishonesty means alot more than outright lying, but also not behaving the way the conscience of candidates would require (being dishonest to their conscience). The main political action here is voting with the polls -- that is waiting for the opinion polls to tell a candidate how he his constituents would react to an action, and then acting based on that. While that is certainly more 'democratic' it is not always what is best. Jefferson said that the majority is rarely right, and I think, and I believe my peers also belive, that it is time for candidates to listen to their reason and morals rather than polls.

When I asked people what turned them off about the candidates, the most common response I got was the fact that they were "fake." In other words, the cadidate couldn't possibly admit that he was uninformed about some information or that he took a strong stand on a topic that he really didn't know much about. Another turn-off was, of course, looks. Although this is a little harsh, many people said they didn't want someone who didn't look like the all-American man representing our country. The last common turn-off I received was that people didn't like a candidate that seemed nervous when speaking to the public. This doesn't necessarily mean what they are saying, but rather how they say it. Do they look at the campaign managers frequently, pause to think, or even have a shaky voice or hands? To many people, this nervousness is a sign of a weak person, and they don't want someone who even looks that way (whether they are or not) in such a high office. Although many of these reasons are superficial, it just goes to show that we are humans and humans are judgemental!

However trite and superficial this sounds, most of my friends seemed to be turned off of candidates based on various physical attributes. One of my friends said, "Ugh, that little snear that Bush has when he is laughing.... It ticks me off everytime I see it." Another person really didn't like the way his shoulders bounced up and down when he [Bush] was laughing. A guy friend of mine that leans more towards Republican ideologies said he thought that Howard Dean looked like too much of a "pretty boy." Another girl said, "Well, that Nader guy, he's just too tall." I guess the best lesson to learn from this that we could apply to our websites is that, however much it should not count, looks do matter! In this case, we don't have to worry about our smiling faces offending anyone (I don't know about anyone else, but I don't plan on putting my picture on our website.) but we should take care to make sure that our websites are layed out in an organized manner that is physically pleasing and pleasant to look at. I know this kind of sounds like common sense, but I have seen enough neon green and puck yellow websites in my day to know that sometimes people disregard these seemingly obvious considerations.

After polling some friends, I found that some students are turned off from candidates based on their party. One guy said that "Kerry lacks intelligence because he is a Democrat. The entire Democratic platform lacks in intelligence. The energy of Social Reformists and bleeding hearts is spent foolishly and counterproductively trying to 'glorify the downtrodden' and dole out benefits--monetary and otherwise--through Welfare and other social programs to socially and intellectually inferior citizens." However, there were more opinions than just which party a candidate belongs to. Another view was that students are turned off when candidates won't take a strong stand on fundamental issues- for example, the war in Iraq, homosexual marriages and even older issues such as abortion. Also, people are turned off when candidates will not admit that they are not an expert on sideline issues. When candidates are being interviewed, you will never hear one of them say, "I don't know. Let me research it and get back to you." The candidates aren't truly expected to be an expert in every issue that is on every different person's mind. It is much more believeable and respectable for a candidate to admit they may not know all of the facts yet, but that they are willing to research and then form an opinion.

Hello all,

For the second post this week, I'd like you to survey friends again to find out something related to what you've been finding out about student interests in politics: This time the task is to find out what turns students off about an issue, a candidate, or (most importantly) the way that political subjects are reported. (The hope here is to generate something of a list of what *not* to do.) See you Thursday.

T. F.

I heard Friday from the Drudge Report that John Kerry has had an affair with his (very young) secretary, and now she's fled the country to Africa. If you haven't heard of the Drudge Report, its where the Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal first broke. It took the same story 3 or 4 days to reach the mainstream news after Drudge first began reporting it. I haven't heard anything yet from the mainstream news on this item... I thought that was applicable.

I had an interesting time this weekend talking to people about their political views. For almost the entirety of the weekend I was travelling with my hockey team, so I spent a lot of time with my teammates. I had some time to ask them what they thought about the candidates and who they were going to vote for. The most common response I received was "Not George Bush" or "Not one of those Democrats." Most of my teammates didn't really care, or they cared, but only enough to be either Dem or Rep. None of them really knew anything about the Democratic candidates from what they revealed to me. Some other people I talked to were a little more concerned with politics. One of my fraternity brothers, a PoSc major, declared that he was definitely voting for George Bush. I tried to get a good explanation out of him, but the only thing he told me was that he was "Pro big business" and he didn't like all the "Democrats' social programs." After the weekend, I was suprised how little most people knew about each candidate, and I think our project for this class will really help inform students about the issues.

A majority of the people that I polled were deciding to vote along party lines in the next election, most of those going with George W. Some people that I polled had no opinion on the issue because they were not even planning to vote. Few made comments that they had not registered yet and still needed to do that. One of the students was very unsatisfied with the candidates for the democrat and republican parties and he was planning to vote for the independent party. Another student was planning to vote for Kerry because she is from Massachusetts and so is the candidate. Overall it seemed that only a couple students were particularly interested in the issues. One student was voting for Howard Dean because of his opposition to the war in Iraq. Another student was unsure of who she was voting for just yet but that education is an issue that will be important for her to decide. And one student said that the homosexual marriage is an important issue and that they would probably vote for a candidate that was against the idea.

Most of the people I polled did not have any opinions about the election because they did not care enough about politics to keep up with the key issues of the election. One person I polled said that economic plans and education plans were important to him, but most of all he was voting for George Bush no matter what. This is an example of voting based on party. I asked him what about the party made him support them. He said simply because his parents raised him to be a republican. I believe that they way people are raised has a lot to do with which party they support, especially with college students. Most students, if they do care enough to even vote, do not really know why they are voting for a certain candidate except for the fact that candidate belongs to the party they support. Further more, the student voting for that party usually has no reason for supporting that party other than the fact that is the party their parents support. A few other people I polled had various opinions. One person who was from New York said he would vote for Howard Dean because he was from Vermont. Where a candidate is from often has a big impact on the way people vote.

Not many of my friends were not politically ignorant enough to have opinions on what is important to them in the upcoming election. Those rare ones that did have opinions all put Iraq/war on Terror in the #1 spot. The gay marriage issue came in second, mentioned one time under the header of right to privacy. That person felt "that the government shouldn't tell me how to run my life, regardless of what lifestyle i want to lead." Education came in third/tied for 2nd. There was also a write in vote for Charisma. (Which I myself thought was funny ^_^) Though i'm not quite sure charisma is a measurable pro/con issue....

Also, my friend sent me a link to (yet another) quiz that tells you where you are on the scale of liberal-conervative -ness: http://madrabbit.net/webrabbit/quizshow.html Just something to check out.

After interviewing a small number of Clemson students, the three topics that will affect their votes the most were education, taxes, and health care. All of these issues affect students right now, so most of us will allow that to influence the way we vote. When asked which candidate most closely represented their interests, most students weren't quite sure which candidates supported or opposed specific issues. Typically, students said that they would stick to the party with which they usually support because they would just feel more comfortable electing a politician from their party to represent them across the board.

The top three responses that I get from fellow students when we talk about election issues are generally foreign policy, same-sex marriage, and the economy. Obviously the war in Iraq and recent judicial decisions have prompted people to think a lot about those issues. A lot of students have their eyes on the economy because they are interested in getting jobs soon. Rounding out the top five include education and health care. I was surprised that education didn't come up sooner, but I think that a lot of people realize that it has been more of a state issue than a presidential one. A lot of the people that I have spoken with had good thoughts on voting, just a few seemed as if they hadn't really thought about it.

When I asked around and took my poll of Clemson student's most important issues, the top five reasons I got were: jobs, the environment, gay marriage, taxes, and Iraq/foreign policies. Some of my peers that I asked weren't really all that interested in the whole politics thing and weren't really aware of many of the issues out there. Others were obvious in their party bias and made comments about some of the candidates that didn't share their views.

Hello all,

(I sent this out as an e-mail message as well, but as we know, my track record with e-mail this semester isn't that great.)

I'm 99% sure that I'm going to be there tomorrow morning, but I may be late--up to 20 minutes, depending on how the morning goes. If I am late, I would like for you to work in your groups until I arrive, and then we'll catch up on presentations.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing everyone and seeing what kind of progress you're making. I'll see you tomorrow.

T. F.

Most of the people I talked to were pretty adamant that they weren't going to vote for Bush. (Yeah!) However, when pressed as to why they didn't want to vote for him, many students did not really have a solid or compelling answer. I got alot of "Well, because he is stupid!" or "Are you kidding me-would you vote for him?" Since we are college students, we are automatically exposed to a more liberal enviroment on a daily basis than the average American, and quite naturally I think, along with that environment comes lots of Bush bashing because he is a typical conservative. However, voting (or in this case, not voting) for a candidate just because that is what everyone else around you is saying they are going to do is naive and shortsighted. The few students who were concerned with issues brought up the War in Iraq and Education as primary concerns. But the fact that so many students did not have (or did not care to have) a solid grasp on the relevant political issues involved in making an intelligent and well-informed voting decision makes our class project all the more important and needed.

The top five responses I got were Education, Finance, Foreign Relations, the enviroment, and NASA programs. The NASA responses really suprised me, even though there was a fairly recent tragedy, and Bush has spoken up changing the way NASA operates, it still doesn't seem like a very importent issue with all the very serious happenings on Terra Firma.

I my asked friends at Clemson what the most important issues are in determining their vote. I was first of all surprised how many people didn't know if they were going to vote. Out of the fifteen people that I asked there were only about ten who honestly thought that they would vote. The others were divided about how they would vote. Many people did say that they would vote along party lines. When I asked them why they said, that the party fit in with the values that had been instilled into them from the start. In other words, the family had always voted republican or democrat and the child followed suit. When I asked other questions I found several issues that were important to everyone. The war was the concern that was most prevalent in my friends. Other issues included the economy, taxes, overall morality of the candidates, deficit, and the possibility of a draft. These issues should be addressed in our website.

When asking 15 of my peers about the most important issues in the upcoming elections, the number one issue was (as others have also noticed) education. This issue is obviously going to concern college students because this is the issue that binds them in the first place. The war on Iraq mixed with homeland security was the second most important issue. A couple of people I talked to said that the candidates views on health care coverage would be the deciding factor for them. Then, some of the lesser issues that people mentioned were homosexual marriage and the economy. I think a lot of the answers have something to do with each person's major, etc. For example, obvioulsy the econ/political science majors i asked said that the economy and war in Iraq was their biggest concern. Most of the health science majors talked about health care. And since education is something we all have in common, this was the biggest issue for students.

I interviewed 15 students of various majors and years. I asked them what issues were most important to them in regards to voting in the upcoming election. I did not give them choices, but let them freely talk. The top issue I found was homeland security, with six people voicing concern over it. Next was concern over the economy with five votes. Abortion and foreign policy each received four votes, with three of the four foreign policy votes being about Middle East policy. Homosexual marriage, defense spending, health care (including Medicare), and social security all received three votes. Stem cell research got two votes. Education issues, judicial tyranny, welfare, income taxes, and censorship all received one vote. One student questioned said she wouldn't vote because she never registered because "it took time and effort."

Over the weekend, I asked 9 of my friends about the important topics to them in the election. The top five were (in order): education, the war on Iraq, homosexual marriage, healthcare and environmental issues. Of course education was most common because everyone I asked was a student. The war is always an important topic of conversation because I think since Clemson is so diverse, there are a lot of friends and family overseas. I think the only reason that homosexual marriage was brought up is because it has been in the news so much lately. Then healthcare and environmental issues were only brought up by a couple people, and not for any certain reasons I don't think.

The main issues that I heard when polling my friends was education, the war in Iraq- whats going to happen in the future over there depending on what new President and party we get in the White House?, the problems with health care, and a little bit of homosexual marriage. I too think that we have picked some good topics, though we are not covering health care which is a huge issue. Our age group may be thinking about it more that we realized. Other than that, I think we are right on.

I too found that everyone I talked to included education as either their first or second priority in the up-coming election. I think that this has a lot to do with our age and current priority, school. Another topic that seemed to be unanimous was the war and spending in Iraq. Although people mentioned many different aspects, everyone I spoke to mentioned Iraq. In addition, a few people mentioned social security, health care, and even homosexual marriage. I think that these issues are not a top priority for our people our age, but can help a person decide between two candidates with similar views. I think that overall our class has chosen good issues that do hold importance in the eyes of Clemson students.

After "polling" 15 Clemson acquaintances of mine over the weekend I found that education topped the list. Every single person I questioned said education, if not their first response, defintely their second. They wanted to know more about the "No Child Left Behind" act and how post-secondary education would be affected with the induction or re-induction of our new president next January. Following education many stated that the war with Iraq and the continued fight against terrorism plagued their minds when voting. A few stated taxes and the dire state of the economy greatly affected their choice on election day. Surprisingly (and by no means is this to be a negative comment toward this group), many were interested in the implementation of universal gay marriage laws across the nation. With such current issues in Massachusetts and a new, unwaviering light shed upon this issue, many were pondering whether Republicans would traditionally side on the conservative views or openly embrace the advent of homosexual marriages in the upcoming election.