“Me and all my friends, we’re all misunderstood. They say we stand for nothing, and there’s no way we ever could.” – “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer.In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the executive order that created the Peace Corps, and young adults across the nation joined and embarked on missions across the globe. That same year, college-aged students served as freedom riders, rallying and protesting for civil rights in the South. There is no doubt that the youth movement of the 1960s played a crucial role in changing race relations, women’s rights and war and peace in America.

“Now we see everything that’s going wrong with the world and those who lead it. We just feel like we don’t have the means to rise above and beat it…”

But, it seems our generation – generation Y – is under constant scrutiny for not living up to the intense political activism of the 1960s baby-boomers. To an extent, this stereotype of college-aged students is true. We frequently aren’t found protesting in the streets, but we are still about more than blogs, text messaging and Myspace.

A study by political scientist Kent Portney at Tufts University found that out of 1,000 non-military men and women, college and non-college citizens between the ages of 18 and 24, more than 70 percent said they voted in the November 2006 elections. And the University of California’s annual survey of the nation’s entering undergraduates showed that more students entering college are discussing politics more frequently than at any point in the past 40 years.

“It’s hard to beat the system when we’re standing at a distance…”

So why is there still skepticism of our generation’s desire for political activism?

More research from the Panetta Institute in Washington, D.C., found students do not see politics as a primary means of bringing about positive change. Panetta’s study showed that a majority of students felt it is not always easy to see that an individual’s involvement makes a difference in politics; therefore many students prefer the direct benefits of community service rather than helping on political campaigns.

“It’s not that we don’t care, we just know that the fight ain’t fair…”

But, whether we think we can make a difference or not, politics do matter. The 2008 presidential election will mirror some of the same controversies of the 1960s and 1970s elections. Vietnam, the Watergate scandal and Roe v. Wade were a few of the issues that rattled the political arena in that era. In 2008, Americans will not only be facing foreign policy issues such as the war on terror but also issues such as global warming, energy dependence and the cost of education.

“One day our generation is going to rule the population…”

In 2008, we will be shaping not only the next four years, but the rest of our lives. It doesn’t matter how we educate ourselves whether its e-mail updates on our iPhones or reading candidates’ Web sites, as long as we are willing to learn.

“We keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change.”

Jenighi Powell is a junior international relations major from Austin.