The campaign for the 44th presidency has begun. At this stage in the game, candidates have set out to earn the vote from their political parties in order to run in the final stage for the presidency. The presidential campaign has been a major topic in popular culture, and is being covered all over social media, television, and printed press.There have been televised political debates coming from the Republican and the Democratic parties.

Front-runners for the election include Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ben Carson, Donald Trump, and Carly Fiorina. Many seniors this year are coming into the age of majority, and as a result will be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

“I plan on voting in the upcoming presidential election,” senior Morgan Schollhammer said. “I’m really interested in politics. I take IB Current World Issues and American Legal System, so I always have to be up to date on what is happening in the political world.”

Part of choosing the candidate who is best represents a voter involves choosing a political party. Each party has key ideas and principles that represent the party as whole. Some political parties believe the government should provide for the people, others believe the people should provide for themselves. There are two primary political parties, Republicans and Democrats, but there are also Liberals, Constitutionals, and members of the Green party. When joining a political party, personal thoughts generally have to be the same as other people within that party

“I’m a Republican,” senior Trevor Young said. “I like the aspects of equality in the Republicanism. It doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire or someone much less successful, everyone should have to be on level playing fields. Also, I believe in equal opportunity, not handouts. You should make your own way within America.”

Televised political debates are a great opportunity for the American people to get a glimpse at those who are vying for the presidential office. There have been two debates so far, for both the Republicans and Democrats.

“I’ve watched both televised political debates for my classes,” Schollhammer said, “But, there’s really only been one candidate who stuck out for me: Ben Carson. During the debate, there was a lot of yelling and passionate debating. All the candidates seemed so angry at each other. They were yelling and screaming, except for Ben Carson. He stayed calm and collected. He seemed wise and intelligent.”

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders lead the pack of all the candidates. Sanders and Clinton have both been gaining steadfast support over social media and in the press. They are the ones to be gunning for the Democratic top spot.

“I really like Bernie Sanders,” senior Austin Mercord said. “I feel he has the most to offer to the people. I like his viewpoints on giving back to the people. I’m on board with his plan to refinance the middle class and get them out of debt. I had heard things about him online previously, but after watching the televised debate I was really won over by him.”

There is still a long way to go before the presidential campaign is over. The campaign is still in its early stages. It will not be until this time next year that the next President will be elected. Much can change in a year. It will be a long and difficult process to find the 44th American president, but with the new president comes and opportunity for change and improvement.

“I want the economy to improve, education reforms to be made, and the immigration problem handled,” Young said. “I want America to become the superpower it once was.”

If you are able to vote but unsure about where you side in the upcoming election, click here take a short quiz, provided by ‘Who Do I Side With.’ The quiz evaluates your beliefs on current social and political issues, and matches you up with the best candidate for your views.