What Issues are Loyola Students Saying Matter to Them?
The 2024 presidential election will be the first in which many members of Gen Z are eligible to vote. In poll conducted on The Greyhound Instagram, students said the number one issue they are voting on is women’s rights.
Here is what some Gen Z voters at Loyola said they are keeping in mind when voting in this year’s election. Callie Walker ‘25 said she will be prioritizing women’s rights issues and healthcare policies when voting in this election.
“Abortion is a significant issue for me. I identify as a woman and having people make decisions about my body, and what can and cannot be done does not make any logical sense to me,” Walker said.
Walker, like many students, is also thinking about proposed gun control policies when voting this year. She says she remembers experiencing anxiety at school after the slew of school shootings began again before 2020.
“I want myself and others to be able to go to school or public places freely without the possibility of being the next victim of poor gun laws,” Walker said.
Kate Weetenkamp ‘27, along with many students in the poll, said that the global warming is their top issue.
“Climate change is another very important thing that has been happening for decades at this point but has really been impacting our climate and weather. It’s impacting habitats for not just us but also for animals, plants, and all living things,” Weetenkamp said.
Weetenkamp is only one of many Gen Z students who consider the environment’s future when voting, another who cared deeply for the issue was Marianna Adler ‘27.
“This is our home, and we want to protect it for as long as possible for our younger generations,” Adler said.
While many students at Loyola agree that education is valuable and a priority, some wish it was a more prevalent topic of conversion in the recent presidential and vice presidential debates. Ashley Ciampitti ‘27 is one such student.
“It wasn’t talked about a lot, and I want to know where they stand and what their policies are on improving public schooling. It is very important, and it is the only way we are going to have a better future and a more equitable future for everyone,” Ciampitti said.
While not all these issues personally affect every Gen Z voter, many consider them because as Francis Timothee ‘27 said, “They affect world peace and equality between everybody.”
This is the third part in a three part series about the 2024 election season.