Many seek trust, openness

Nicole Lister

is a sophomore political science/pre-law major in a B.A./J.D. program at Rutgers in Camden

Vote for the candidate who will follow through on his or her promises, the one whose policies will actually be implemented and not just exist in a 30-second television sound bite.

The issues are what they've always been - national security, the economy, abortion and gay rights. What makes it or breaks it for a candidate is whether or not they can follow through. When I voted in the Jersey primary, I punched the ballot for the candidate I believe will do this - the one whose broken promises we won't have to sweep up four years from now.

Sean Coit

is a junior at St. Joseph's and editor of the Hawk newspaper

The struggling economy is at the heart of many of America's problems, and my vote will go for the candidate who provides a calculated, realistic plan to regain the nation's financial stability.

The credit crunch has caused well-publicized problems in U.S. housing markets, but other credit issues have arisen that could affect our country's future. Loans for students and young adults are now both less available and more expensive, making a college education unattainable for too many young Americans.

Strong fiscal policy is central to many others. Stabilizing our financial markets and institutions and strengthening the dollar are crucial to America's health care, education, and real estate problems. The next president will be judged on his or her ability to re-establish the American economy as the world's strongest.

Karen Shuey

is a senior at Temple majoring in news/editorial journalism

When picking a president, appearance, charisma and passionate speeches are nice, but what really matters are the issues that affect people's daily lives. For me, that boils down to health care, the economy and energy. As a 23-year-old college student, I know what it's like to not have health care. Last year, I was abruptly kicked off my parents' insurance and forced to fend for myself. The options were slim; the only plans I could afford insured me if I got hit by a bus, but wouldn't cover a yearly physical. Too many people find themselves living that same nightmare.

With my graduation looming, the state of our economy also frightens me. I need to know that our next president has a plan to create jobs with salaries that people can live on. One way we can generate jobs is by creating a new alternative-fuels industry that will not only provide more opportunities for domestic employment, but also allow us to stop fighting wars over oil control in the Middle East.

Nicolle Morales Kern

is studying journalism at Drexel

For the first time, I will be voting in the Pennsylvania primary, and making an informed decision is imperative. At first glance, the two Democratic presidential candidates seem to have a lot of similarities. However, once you research, it becomes apparent that the differences lie in detail. It is very important to consider how their plans might affect our lives and if the goals are attainable. Throughout the campaign, have they willingly admitted to their mistakes, or do they concentrate more on underhandedly criticizing the opponent? Concentrating on criticizing matters of political correctness diverts attention away from their own campaign, goals, and, ultimately, who they are.

Rachel Tashjian

is a sophomore at Bryn Mawr, majoring in English

This is the first presidential primary in which I can vote, and I feel lucky to be on a college campus as I make my decision. I am basing my decision on who is reaching out to us by sending representatives to Bryn Mawr. Both Democratic candidates have done so: Michelle Obama was at Haverford this week, and Madeleine Albright was at Bryn Mawr last week; John McCain has not sent anyone. During these visits, I have paid close attention not only to who is concerned about issues most relevant to college students, like affordable tuition, but also to who respects us enough to discuss their plans for health care, the economy, and Iraq.

Vanais Harrigan

is a senior English major at Arcadia

I want a president in whom I may place some trust, and it is this assessment that determines my voting. Hopefully, a candidate for the presidency will exhibit honesty and resiliency throughout political career. For a presidential candidate, I want to know that their voting history has been relatively consistent. I want to know that the person can explain the reasoning behind each political decision they have made. In addition to such responsible carriage, I also look for a candidate who exercises a vision beyond party lines for the good of the people.

Sarah E. Caldwell

graduated from Bryn Mawr in December and

is working at a publishing house in New York

Dear ________ :

I like you. I really do, and despite the name-calling and biological reality you can't control, I will continue to support your campaign, even if the ship sails without you this year.

Why? Because I believe you. It's that simple. You're classic WYSIWYG; so far, I like (yes, that word again) what I see, so you'll be getting my hypothetical-if-I-still-lived-in-Pa. vote next week. For me, authenticity is the best judge of character, and I'm buying your signature brand. With you, there are no hidden additives or agendas, no artificial flavors.

St. John Barned-Smith

is an English major at Penn hoping to be a national or international sociopolitical reporter

What I've found most disturbing about our current administration is how tight-fisted it is with the most basic information and how much it twists the information it allows to slip through.

In the primary, the issue that will most influence my vote is the degree to which each candidate strikes me so far as having been secretive or open. There's no clear answer here - Hillary Clinton stalled for months before releasing her tax returns and continues to withhold documents from her husband's presidential administration, while Obama vacillates between making himself available to the media (when he's down) and keeping them at arms' length (when he's up). And even though John McCain has already sewn things up on the Republican side, all of the candidates have been caught distorting information or propagating outright lies. So on the 22d, I will vote for the least untrustworthy, least dishonest, and least secretive candidate.

Aileen Bachant

is a junior at Rowan specializing in journalism and majoring in print, editing and broadcast

In the very close race for the presidency, candidates should be concerned not only with our current status in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also with the obvious problems growing within our own nation's housing market. They should address the threat of an economic recession with solid solutions.

As a college student, I understand the difficulties in obtaining an affordable education. I think that lowering the cost of tuition and improving the likelihood of an affordable education for other middle-class citizens should be an important goal for candidates - one that could win my vote in November.

Graduating in December, with the promise of discontinued coverage under my parents' health-care plans, I also see any support of universal, affordable, and accessible health care as a major plus. Environmental issues, including global warming and the search for alternative-energy sources, are also key.

Tyler Peckham

is a junior political science and print communications major at Arcadia

The most important thing for America to do at this point is to change its image abroad. This means no more war in Iraq, no more Guantánamo Bay, and the abolition of slogans such as "axis of evil." At times, I wonder whether most of our foreign policy - and the words that back it up - actually come primarily from Clint Eastwood movies. America needs to reinvent itself as a global leader. This means providing a viable path toward development for the Third World; pledging to open dialogue with other nations, and employing an underused foreign-policy tools: respect.

Terrorism does not spring from bombs and religion; it comes from poverty and desperation.