Mikaela Mosley- I know who the pollsters say I should support for President of the United States. They say that as an African American I have strong support for the Clinton brand. History shows that African Americans supported Bill Clinton by overwhelming numbers in both of his presidential campaigns. He was labeled “the first black president” by author Toni Morrison when she described his upbringing in a single parent, poor, working class household and for his love of playing the saxophone and eating junk food. Also, the pollsters say I should be excited about the first woman president.

Well, Bill Clinton isn’t on the ballot, nor was he ever a “black president.” Where his upbringing was similar to many African Americans, his wife’s was not. It would be nice to have the first female president, but maybe not this year.

I support Bernie Sanders for President of the United States. My support for Sanders is based on his sincere love of country and for his desire to help the underclass in this country. His passionate pleas for a living wage of $15 an hour is commendable. He is not a braggart as some candidates are and he doesn’t change his views to meet the wishes of any group he may be meeting with. He is not tied to any big money groups as he has not accepted money from any corporations or from any special interest groups. His money is coming from small donors who are tired of the way things are and who want to see a change in the way things are done in Washington.

Bernie Sanders has been in the trenches with African Americans for decades. He was at the March on Washington at which Martin Luther King, Jr. made his I Have a Dream speech. He has been a leader in the assault on African Americans by police by calling for police forces to stop acting like invading armies. Likewise, he believes women should make the same amount of money as men and should have the right to do with their bodies as they see fit. He also believes in Medicare for everyone as a right of citizenship. These are the issues that are important to me and my community and I believe the well-mannered Bernie Sanders is the right person to lead our country.

Natalie Wright- I endorse Hillary Clinton to be the President of the United States. She would be the first woman nominated by a major party for the presidency. Clinton has served as Senator of New York, the Secretary of State during President Obama’s first term, and as the First Lady during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Clinton has not only extensive experience in powerful government positions, but also has many of the same policies and values as President Obama.

As Secretary of State, Clinton helped to impose tougher sanctions on Iran. She also advocates the use of military power around the world to protect our country’s interests and safety. Clinton has economic proposals for financial reform to benefit working class Americans and she wants to work on strengthening the health care act that was put into place by Obama. If elected President, she also plans on continuing her fight for women’s rights and improving immigration laws.

Hillary Clinton will help improve the lives of the middle class and keep America safe if she is elected President of the United States.

Steph Krane- After countless hours spent watching CNN and reading newspapers, it is with the mildest of convictions that I support Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for president.

Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist, spent the 1980s as the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, during which time he led numerous downtown revitalization projects and helped Burlington gain nationwide respect as one of the most livable cities in the country. Following that, he spent time in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the Senate, where he currently represents Vermont.

Sanders is running on a platform of fixing the U.S. economy, with a focus on overhauling the nation’s welfare system. His proposals, which include free college tuition, universal health care, and the legalization of marijuana, have earned him the distinction of being a progressive candidate.

Sanders certainly knows how to appeal to young people, as shown by the fact that 84% of voters under 30 in Iowa voted for him during last Monday’s caucus. And why not? I don’t know a single high school or college student (myself certainly included) who would refuse an offer of free college tuition. Bernie if telling the young people what they want to hear, and it is certainly paying off.

My main argument for Bernie Sanders is the one quality that he has been harping on for the entirety of his campaign: his status as a political outsider who does not benefit from the establishment. Unlike rival Hillary Clinton, Sanders has a record of not benefitting from Wall Street behemoths. The average contribution to Sanders’ campaign stands at $27 (as he repeats at every rally and speech), and he has not been funded by any Super PACs.

While I like Sanders’ ideas, I doubt they could ever be passed in an already deadlocked Congress. The idea of “free” things sounds nice, but somebody has to pay, a point that won’t work well with many Americans who fear rising taxes. Ultimately, Sanders is simply too liberal to unite a country that is already so polarized, but I’d certainly like to give him the opportunity to try.