First-year students find money as top priority

by Renee Tomcanin assistant news editor

After an exhausting several months of bickering and fighting, our nation finally has a new president. Election years have the tendency to be exciting, and the past year was no exception. Even after a race filled with more twist and turns than a daytime soap opera, first-year students still are not interested.

So, if first-year students do not care about politics, what do they care about? Money.

An annual survey of first-year students has shown that only 28 percent are interested in keeping up with politics, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. This is the lowest percentage since the survey began in 1966.

The study also found money to be the biggest factor in the lives of first-year students. Cabrini agrees with this.

First-year student Diane Wizimirski said, "I understand

This desire to have money may be due to the amount of first-year students that are covering part of their educational exthat it's hard to live penses. This was 49 percent according to the survey. without money." She listed school and getting a job as her highest concerns. that concerned first-year Cabrini students. no real interest in politics or the recent election, but they did care about some issues. Abortion and homelessness were among those topics

Lisa Kisshauer, another first-year student, felt that she was not as driven by money in her life. She does want to make money in the future for other reasons than being comfortable.

However, this does not mean that firstyear students are not concerned with bigger social issues. The study found that many are interested.

The study attributed this lack of a political interest to the candidates and the issues. Many said that candidates were out of touch and that politics are geared for older citizens.

First-year students at Cabrini reflect this trend. Those who were polled showed "[Money] will help me to better provide for my family and children," Kisshauer said.

Students tend to focus on events that directly effect them and their immediate surroundings, like education or local homelessness. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, this could be due to more students focusing inward rather than outward to national concerns. While politics are not the top concern, first-year students do have opinions on issues. As the survey shows, it appears that money, not politics, makes the world go around.

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