If Presidential Candidates Were College Students
The 2016 Presidential Election is upon us, sort of. With primaries looming closer, it is essential for every generation of a voting age to inform itself and participate in the political process. And what better way to educate college students than to shine the presidential candidates under a familiar light: archetypes of college students. (FYI, all the majors listed actually exist.)
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Barnie “The Activist” Slanders
Major: Floral Management
Have you ever walked past some type of “peace circle” on your campus? It’s usually led by a (30-year-old-looking) 19 year old sophomore who thoroughly enjoys making you feel guilty if you dare make eye-contact, and then not join the righteous proceedings. In his free time, you can find Slanders yelling at his roommate for using too much hot water, keying Hummers and sporstcars on campus and looking for tenured professors to pay his tuition. For some reason, Russian international students revere him.
Spike “The Crusader” WhatTheHuckabee
Major: Bakery Sciences
Spike hails from Arkansas and has proudly never left the country; he doesn’t even have a passport. He’s one of the few remaining people calling LGBT people “the gays,” but for some reason thinks he’s a friend to that community. Spike is a huge fan of politically incorrect jokes and always seems to assume that the target community will laugh at them and support him for his fine comedic skills.
Ronald “The Inappropriate Uncle” Plump
Major: Bagpiping
Ronald is that guy that makes you cringe every time he speaks up in ‘Intro to Anthropology.’ He hangs out with the golf team, started his own Real Estate Society on campus (the original one wasn’t up to his standards and allowed women). He has a habit of yelling “you’re fired!” to foreign students and minorities. His freshman year, Ronald built a fence in his dorm to establish a border between him and his roommate Ernesto; he then asked Ernesto to compensate him for the supplies and labor hours.
John “I Swear I’m Different” Buschel
Major: Family Enterprise
John seems like a friendly guy. People like him more than his upperclassman brother. An aficionado of all things Hispanic, he religiously follows a daily siesta schedule and organizes a big fiesta every year for Cinco de Mayo. He once made an argument that the Women’s Studies department was receiving too much funding, which really troubled Ronald Plump who usually loves to disagree with him.
Hilly “The Good Wife” Cleanton
Major: Puppetry
Somehow, Cleanton was an RA…as a freshman. And not the understanding, friendly kind of RA; the kind that patrols the halls Friday and Saturday nights while keeping an eye on her volatile boyfriend, Will. She’s a theater major, so with those fine acting skills, you’ll have a tough time figuring out what she thinks about people, or when she’s actually telling the truth. Hilly loves technology and got a job as a campus rep for Gmail. She likes to give back to the community by going shopping with (and taking style tips from) senior citizens.
There is quite a group of characters for the 2016 election. Keep informing yourself with both serious and not-so-serious articles to form your opinion of each of the presidential candidates. Don’t worry, you still have loads of time before it’s time to vote.
Featured image source: assets.rollingstone.com
David is a senior studying Political Science and American Studies at Brandeis University. On campus, he's involved in Greek Life and works as a movie translator. During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball or catching up on his favorite TV shows.