Happy Election Day 2012 Cincinnati!

[Chemistry_Guy]

I guess I can't be sure which way it influenced the election, but yesterday I spent a good five minutes of class time calling out my students for being apathetic and taking their rights, freedoms, and privileges for granted after I sensed most of them were not planning on voting for convenience reasons. I told them voting was the most important thing that they could do that day and that they should be ashamed that my 60 year old mother was out in the cold using her vacation day to help people like them exercise their constitutional rights while they sat in the lounge complaining about the pumpkin pie in the cafeteria. I may have raised my voice a bit.

Later in the day a colleague stopped me in the hall and said said that one of her research students had just stopped by the lab with tears in her eyes and said she needed to cancel research for the day because she had to vote. She complimented me on whatever motivational tools I had used, because it is often difficult to motivate seniors who have already been accepted into medical/graduate/pharmacy school but that I appeared to have really lit a fire under them and gotten them running.

The best part of it all is that when I told my mom this story she started crying herself.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy

I guess I can't be sure which way it influenced the election, but yesterday I spent a good five minutes of class time calling out my students for being apathetic and taking their rights, freedoms, and privileges for granted after I sensed most of them were not planning on voting for convenience reasons. I told them voting was the most important thing that they could do that day and that they should be ashamed that my 60 year old mother was out in the cold using her vacation day to help people like them exercise their constitutional rights while they sat in the lounge complaining about the pumpkin pie in the cafeteria. I may have raised my voice a bit.

Later in the day a colleague stopped me in the hall and said said that one of her research students had just stopped by the lab with tears in her eyes and said she needed to cancel research for the day because she had to vote. She complimented me on whatever motivational tools I had used, because it is often difficult to motivate seniors who have already been accepted into medical/graduate/pharmacy school but that I appeared to have really lit a fire under them and gotten them running.

The best part of it all is that when I told my mom this story she started crying herself.

Yes, it is a shame so many of our populace does not feel a need to vote. Don't vote and then complain how the government is not doing what you want. I complement you for shaming your students into voting.

When I voted yesterday I was in a room full of greyhairs. The ones maning the voting booth were greyhairs as well as those actually voting. When you get older you appreciate what a privilege it is to vote.

[Sarah Perry]

Good for you, Chemistry Guy. It's indeed depressing that more people in that age group don't participate in the process. It's so hard to get an economic start in life nowadays, I guess it's no wonder that they're turned off in large numbers. On a related note, I heard that the turnout of African American voters was about equal to that of the 2008 election. Tom Jones' opinion notwithstanding, I see this as hugely positive. Hopefully many of those people who had not been involved in the process pre-Obama will keep on going to the polls permanently.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy

I may have raised my voice a bit.

LOL. Sometimes you gotta get out the big guns.

Kudos to you; it seems at least a few actually listened.

[kjbrill]

If you want to read some absolutely idiotic commentary go over to the General Forums section Politics and Other Controversies - Elections and see what is being posted there. I especially liked the contention a McDonalds in WV is flying the American Flg upside down and at half mast. Bet that franchise owner endeared himself with corporate. I spent some time browsing the various threads until I decided it was just one big waste of time.

[WRosado]

Originally Posted by Briolat21

I don't think they've called Florida yet, still too close. However, this time - it doesn't matter.

Note to self: DO NOT DEPEND ON FLORIDA!!!

Florida's a mess. I was just really suprised how quick everything went. I was quickly anticipating Florida or Virginia to be next... I figured North Carolina was going to go for Romney. Instead, I was suprised to see everyone get all hush hush because they had big news in... on the screen I see Ohio pop up and Obama had won. I was not suprised to see Obama win, just that Ohio was already figured out... especially with the provisional ballots not going to be finished counted until what is it, the 17th? But forget the provisionals... it was the fact that Ohio didn't even have half their votes counted and they just assumed a winner it felt like compared to over 90% in in both Florida and Virginia.

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy

I guess I can't be sure which way it influenced the election, but yesterday I spent a good five minutes of class time calling out my students for being apathetic and taking their rights, freedoms, and privileges for granted after I sensed most of them were not planning on voting for convenience reasons. I told them voting was the most important thing that they could do that day and that they should be ashamed that my 60 year old mother was out in the cold using her vacation day to help people like them exercise their constitutional rights while they sat in the lounge complaining about the pumpkin pie in the cafeteria. I may have raised my voice a bit.

Later in the day a colleague stopped me in the hall and said said that one of her research students had just stopped by the lab with tears in her eyes and said she needed to cancel research for the day because she had to vote. She complimented me on whatever motivational tools I had used, because it is often difficult to motivate seniors who have already been accepted into medical/graduate/pharmacy school but that I appeared to have really lit a fire under them and gotten them running.

The best part of it all is that when I told my mom this story she started crying herself.

Good for you!!!!