C2M Columnist Alex Williams

OPINION: Why the youth vote matters

In 2008, political analysts found that, while the youth vote—those under 30--broke overwhelmingly for Barack Obama, it did not singularly tip the election in his favor. Exit polls from the 2012 election show Obama once again won the youth vote, this time by 67 percent nationally and 61 percent in swing states. Not only was the breadth of the youth vote integral to this election, but the depth, too, played an important factor. Exit poll data suggests that one in five voters on Tuesday was under the age of 30, with half of eligible voters ages 18 through 29 casting a ballot.

OPINION: The political motivations behind legislative nomenclature

With the nation just a few weeks away from electing our representatives in Washington, Congress is bottlenecked with legislation. Bills addressing a range of issues, from the financial crisis to foreign affairs, lay waiting for committees to act on them. In reflection of the campaigns’ tones and messages, authors of these bills have adorned their legislation with explicit titles aimed at specific issues.

OPINION: The dilemma concerning standardized testing and educational success

What makes a student successful? In an attempt to assess students in an easy and cheap manner, many schools use test scores to determine who will make a successful student. Two recent articles in the national media, each focusing on the beginning and ending of one’s high school career, highlight the troubles facing schools as they attempt to better understand test scores. An analysis of these two articles will allow Mason to better understand what role a university will play in shaping the lives of these high school students.