Politics affect all parts of student life

Political beliefs are part of daily life in the United States of America and South Africa, and have become a determining factor in how students interact with each other and express themselves culturally.

threestreamsmedia interviewed American students from Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois, and South African students to explore political influences on the student experience.

According to Vannessa Paneido (21), a student majoring in communication at Lewis University, political ideologies have become intertwined with everyday life. 

Brenda Urquizo (20), a sophomore at Lewis University majoring in finance, said that different cultural backgrounds lead to different political perspectives.  “We all have different perspectives. I am Mexican American, that definitely influences my political beliefs,” she said.

Recent political protests in America, such as the Black Lives Matter protests and the storming of the Capitol building on 6 January 2021, have influenced student life. “I’ve heard that some people are more afraid to go into the city during protests due to the possibility of violence,” Peinado said. She also added that a protest in one state might influence students to start a protest locally. “There are two sides, people either want to get involved, or they want to stay inside for safety,” she said. 

Protesting, however, is not foreign to Americans. “I remember when I was in high school, some people skipped school to attend protests,” Peinado explained.  According to the Lewis University students interviewed, protests play an exponential part in how Americans express themselves politically.

According to Urquizo and Peinado, Lewis University does not have any strong political associations. “We have clubs, but they’re not necessarily political,” Urquizo confirmed. Peinado continued that the student community is more understanding and considerate of other people’s political affiliations, unless it becomes discriminatory or problematic.

According to Chélaine de Wet, (22), an honours student in financial accounting at the North-West University (NWU), students in South Africa have taken a more relaxed stance on political issues.

“I think there is political influence on our student life, most students are just unaware of it,” she said. “Let’s be honest, most students do not care about the political environment,” she continued. De Wet went on, saying that some South Africans are too invested in American politics. “People seem to not care about South African politics, but are very aware of what is happening in America and their politics,” she said. 

Carla Otto (24), a masters student in marketing at the NWU, said that there has been a political influence on student life in the past. “There has been a lot of protests and political unrest at universities in South Africa through the years,” she said. 

Part of the campus of Lewis University. Source: Google Street View