From the Trail

Issues That Matter: How I Rocked The Trail

I will never forget the first conversation I had with my fellow Rock the Trail reporters. It was our first outing together, and a question was floated: Are you political? Everyone said yes, listing their reasons, and, before too long, it was my turn to speak. I told everyone at the table that I wasn't political -- a sentiment that would radically change in the coming weeks. While I didn't consider myself "political," when asked what issues concerned me, I immediately had a list of pressing issues: police brutality, the public school system, youth and violence.

For me, like many of my generation, "politics" has for so long been synonymous with boring "stuff." After covering this year's historic election, reporting stories of a young wounded veteran and the damaged public school system, I have learned that the issues that matter to you <i>are</i> politics. Only when we work to revamp and redefine policies can we move forward as a democratic society.

"Change" was a strong word this political season. It held so much power because so many Americans wanted change: change in education, change in leadership and certainly a change in our economy. It was the word that granted victory to President-elect Obama and it was this prospect of real change that got the attention of youth voters.

Youth voters flocked to the polls in such record numbers. Nearly 23 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 voted in this election. That's over two million more youth voters than in the 2004 presidential race. Whether it was Obama's appeal to young voters, the hype of this year's race in the media or the determination many youth had to break a tradition of civic apathy, Barack Obama won in a landslide.
 
Many factors led to Obama's win and youth reporters played a key role in mobilizing the youth vote. I came across many eligible voters who were discouraged from participating because they felt that their votes didn't matter and the issues most important to them weren't of interest to anyone else. It became clear that my job as a youth reporter was to tackle the issues that mattered to my peers in order to get out the vote. It felt good to be covering issues that went ignored by the mainstream press. Countless other young reporters worked together to encourage millions of young people to cast a vote for the first time.

"Change" was a word that brought record numbers of people to the polls. It became an affirmative belief, chanted by millions of Americans who began hoping again. I saw change become a faith for some during the campaign. With time, that faith will be tested in this new presidency.

My memories of reporting this historic election are still vivid and will be forever engraved in my memory: My encounter with Michelle Obama, the eyes of the young disabled veteran I interviewed, the children affected by faulty education policies, the many young people who called and knocked on my door. I enjoyed every minute of this presidential journey -- even the quote of the week from Governor Sarah Palin.

Most unforgettable of all was how youth from all ethnicities and backgrounds came together for the sake of this country. Even first and second graders surprised me with their mock-elections and popular songs, proving that the youngest among us can play a critical part in inspiring Americans to exercise their right to vote.

I am thankful for this opportunity to chronicle an historical presidential election, and, in the process, to realize with confidence that I am, and always have been, political.

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