Last Thursday evening, the Simpson College Democrats held their first meeting of the year. There wasn’t an empty chair in the room.

As students, we all lead busy lives, full of schoolwork, socializing and the demanding task of balancing them both. For numerous young adults to make time on a weeknight implies something besides the congregation of a group on campus.

We students are speaking, and we are speaking loudly. We do care about issues, and we demand change. We must turn the page on the past eight years, and Barack Obama is our candidate for that change.

After eight years of poor leadership, deception, a pit-falling economy, a costly war, and a multitude of other disappointments, Obama will deliver the change our country so desperately needs. Whether you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent or apathetic, as young adults, the result of this election is imperative to our futures.

As we all know, college is expensive and the tedious process of applying for aid is frustrating. As president, Obama will create a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This ensures that if students volunteer their time for their community, they will receive a $4,000 scholarship.

As Americans, everyone should have the opportunity for higher education. With growing specialized professions, this education will be necessary to thrive in the United States and the global community.

The war in Iraq has cost our nation $2.7 trillion, a debt that our generation will inevitably inherit as well. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government is swimming in a surplus. With an ailing economy, our country literally cannot afford this hasty war.

The United States entered this war as an attempt to make our nation safer. Yet globally we are no longer trusted. We have never been so unsafe, and our country has never been so divided. Obama will restore diplomatic relations across the world, guided by the principle that we should never fear the act of negotiation. With our re-established alliances, we will better combat the real threats of the 21st century.

For those students interested in becoming teachers, they are well aware that teachers are not paid nearly enough for what they do. Obama plans to increase teacher pay, an added bonus for attracting the best teachers to America’s schools.

Also, numerous students are concerned about the environment. For over 30 years our government has bickered about our energy crisis. We must act now.

As president, Obama will eliminate our dependence on oil by using renewable energy, which will reduce toxic pollution. This bold initiative will also create millions of new green jobs that will never be outsourced to China or India.

While I am writing on behalf of the Simpson College Democrats and sharing some of our values and concerns, these issues apply to everyone. These concerns have been festering for decades, but nothing has changed.

We can no longer sit back, letting the same old politicians practice the same old politics and somehow expect a different result. For this reason, Obama promises change. Change that everyone can believe in.