By Journalism 1
One need that voter Elaina Brown wants met by the next U.S. president seems pretty simple–she wants to feel safe. Brown, from Altamont, New York, identifies with the LGBT community and said the Orlando nightclub shootings earlier this year helped shape her hope for the presidency.
Brown was among more than a dozen individuals interviewed last week on campus and around the Pine Hills neighborhood for The Chronicle. She said she is concerned about the anger the current election cycle has yielded and she wonders about the outcome.
Gun regulation matters too, to Carlisa Stover, an employee at The College of Saint Rose. After that the new president needs to address the economy, she said.
What voters want from the next President varies greatly – they want more and better jobs, more civil discourse, better access to education, improved race relations and a stronger immigration policy.
More affordable higher education and equal pay for women and men both topped the list of priorities for Briana De La Cruz, a 20-year-old college student.
Lowering the cost of college also leads the presidential to-do list for Macy Snider, a college student who was heading to the Madison Avenue Price Chopper last Monday.
Instructional technologist Abi Johnson wants women’s health issues addressed by the next administration.
“I want to vote for a president because I care about what they will do,” said Johnson, who works at The College of Saint Rose.
Immigration is an important issue for Saint Rose sophomore Whitney Jones, who identifies as Jamaican.Irish and African American.
Gerard Hussain, 22, wants the next President to focus on improving health care and finding strategies to improve the American inner city.
The health care benefits available to senior Rachel Salasky through her parents plan are valuable and she wants the next President to maintain the policy that now allows adult children to use their parents’ benefits until age 26.
Salasky hopes, “whoever wins will figure out how to bring more peace to our country, because terrorism and shootings are getting out of hand.”
Diversity and student debt are important issues facing Tina Bald, a graduate student at the Saint Rose. Bald is passionate about learning and understanding other people’s cultures.
“What kind of world are we living in if we are not considering each others feelings,” Bald said. She wants the next president to be someone who cares and values the diverse nature of America.
Bald also wants the next U.S. Senate to enact legislation that will help lower the debt that students have to endure. Prospective college students will feel more motivated to pursue higher education if they don’t have to worry about the aftermath, she said.
Lessie Steves, who works in the counseling office at The College of Saint Rose, hopes that the new president can find a way to bring people of different race together throughout our country.
Making college education accessible for everyone and improving the availability of health care are big concerns teacher Bruce Roter, who teaches music at Saint Rose.
A better society starts with a better education, which should be available to everyone, Roter said. He is counting on the more experienced Presidential candidate to deliver on better health care access for all.
Robert Martinez, Julia Williams, Callie Bryant, Ania Wallace, Britani Stowe, Nicolas Alvarez, Jazze Lewis, Seriah Sargenton, Cody Mooney, Kaitlin Tricozzi, Char’lasia Williams and Taylor Bock
