Student Union
Issues Important to Young Voters
“My name is Natalie Bergeron. I'm 20 years old.”
“My name is Daniel Hendrick. I’m 19 years old.”
“Nelson Quezada, 22 years old.”
“Michael Rotstein, age 20. I go to Stetson University.”
Daniel Hendrick
“I am a sophomore at Stetson University.”
Natalie Bergeron
“And I go to Stetson University.”
Nelson Quezada
“I attend Stetson University.”
Daniel Hendrick
“So, for me, as a queer-identifying man, like, this election is super important.”
Nelson Quezada
“So, immigration reform is really important to me.”
Natalie Bergeron
“Environmental issues that are smaller scale than just saying a blanket statement about climate change.”
Michael Rotstein
“I’m very pro-Second Amendment; I like my gun.”
Natalie Bergeron
“So, I worked with a butterfly over the summer that used to be the most prevalent butterfly species in all Florida, and only natural habitat is now one tiny island in the [Florida] Keys. And that's because we've built up so much on the Florida coastline. So, I think one of the biggest things we need to focus on is stopping habitat destruction because of development.”
Daniel Hendrick
“A lot of dangerous beliefs are being emboldened and lifted up. And so, it's this election is important because I need to know that I will be safe. I need to know that I will be able to be who I am anywhere in this country.”
Nelson Quezada
“Um, I'm an immigrant. I immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador when I was seven. And so, ensuring we have an immigration policy that is inclusive, that it provides the millions of undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship.”
Michael Rotstein
“Wants to establish a gun tax — $200 on each semi-automatic rifle. I am heavily against that. Yes, it still doesn't go exactly against the Constitution, I just don't find it very constitutional to tax guns, especially on people that have already owned them. The tax kind of disincentivizes people who own guns to keep them; they don't want to keep paying that $200 yearly tax, and I'm very against it.”
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
