Nebraska U.S. Senate Candidate Speaks about Why Voting Should Matter to Students
Jane Raybould, Democratic candidate for a Nebraska U.S. Senate seat, speaks to faculty and students in THOM Auditorium.
By Morgan Consier
As the midterm election on Nov. 6 draws near, Concordia students may be wondering, “What does this have to do with me?” The college setting may seem removed from events happening in politics across the United States, but Nebraska’s senators and representatives travel to Washington, D.C. to work for the interests of Nebraskans.
On Thursday, Nov. 1, Concordia students and faculty had the opportunity to meet with Jane Raybould, the Democratic candidate for one of Nebraska’s U.S. Senate seats. Raybould spoke about her views on a variety of issues, including healthcare, immigration, and student loans.
Raybould, who grew up around her family’s grocery stores, knows the importance of politicians working for the interests of their constituents.
“Our motto has always been ‘The customer always comes first,’ so wouldn’t that be a truly novel idea if the federal government operated that same way?”
Raybould also spoke about the effects of student loan debt on college graduates as they move into the workforce.
“They can’t get a job that’s going to help cover their loan payments, they can’t buy a house, they don’t have that flexibility of moving, they can’t start a family, so there are all these restrictions on them right now,” Raybould said. “We need to make sure that they can refinance their student loan debt, and that it can be at competitive rates.”
Raybould says that the loan debt can be lessened by providing students with options to help them repay their loans as well as encouraging them to consider options such two-year colleges and trade schools. These options can provide students with real-life experience without saddling them with loans.
Whether students live in Nebraska or are from another state, Raybould believes everyone should get out to vote to make a difference in the American government.
“I firmly believe that if we want to change what is going on in Washington, D.C., we just have to change who we send to represent us,” Raybould said. “Drag everyone you know to vote. Make it a party. It should be something we celebrate.”
The views expressed in this article are those of Jane Raybould, not necessarily those of The Sower newspaper or of Concordia University, Nebraska.
