Anjali Gonzalez- Post 2

 Overall, I enjoyed our Elections Matter presentaions. I think this was a good way for us to learn about different issues that affect our country and allowed us to understand the importance of elections. Each group focused on a different topic, which allowed us to learn about several issues without having to research every single one ourselves. I also liked how these presentations were a little different from our previous ones because some groups presented through Zoom while others presented in person. It was interesting to see how the different environments affected the presentations. Overall, everyone did a great job on their presentation and explaining each topic.

Group 1 was in charge of discussing the economy and how it connects to elections. I think this was a really important topic because the economy is something that has been strongly affected espacially with our elections. As college students, we are starting to become more independent and have to think about things like paying for school while managing both a job and schoolwork .I liked how this topic showed that the decisions made by our government can have an impact on our everyday lives. As for the presentation part, i enjoyed it many of the team members explained the topic in an easy way to understand. Overall, I thought this was a good topic to start off the presentations because it is something that everyone can relate to in one way or another.

Group 2 was in charge of immigration policies, and this was actually the group I was a part of. Our presentation focused on immigration in the United States and how our policies compare to those of other countries, we decided to compare it to Canada. One part of our presentation was comparing how the United States handles immigration enforcement through ICE and how Canada has its own agency (CBSA) that handles similar issues. I really enjoyed researching this topic because immigration is something that is constantly being discussed, especially more stongly now in florida, many have very different opinions on the restrictions and power ice should have and whether or not they are doing a good job. It was interesting to see how two countries that are so close to each other have such different approaches to handling immigration. I also think it was important for us to present different perspectives rather than making the presentation feel like we were only supporting one side. This presentation was a completely different experience compared to our last group presentation because we had to present through Zoom. I felt like the presentation went much smoother than it normally would in a classroom setting. Being able to present from a different environment made the experience feel a little more comfortable and less stressful. Being able to present in the comfort of our own home definetly added to the experience. Overall, I think my group did a good job in the research section and finding different examples of these policies

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Group 3 was in charge of education policies, and they also had to present through Zoom. Similar to my group's experience, I felt like their presentation went really smooth. Everyone seemed comfortable with what they were saying. One thing I really enjoyed about this group was how informative their presentation felt. I could tell that the members understood the topics they were discussing rather than just reading information directly from their slides. I think education policies are especially important for us especially as college students because they directly affect our academic opportunities and futures. Things like college affordability, financial aid, and access to education are all issues that students should be aware of when it comes to elections. I think sometimes we forget that the people we vote for can influence these decisions on our education. Their presentation helped show why it is important to pay attention to these issues, especially for us college students. Overall, I really enjoyed this group's presentation, and I think they did a great job making their information clear and easy to understand. 

Lastly, Group 4 presented in person, unfortunately only two members of their group were there to present. Even with that, I thought they did a really good job handling the situation. I could tell that they were prepared for their parts, and they were able to explain their information without making it feel like there were members missing. Their presentation focused on the importance of elections and why voting matters, especially for college student like us. I think this was a really good topic to end the presentations especially since it was election day. As young college students, I think it is important for us to understand that our votes matter and that the decisions being made today can affect our futures. One thing I would have liked to see from Group 4 was for them to briefly go over the slides that belonged to the members who were absent. Even if they had just read the information directly from those slides, I think it would have helped the class to get a better overall understanding of the entire presentation. I understand that it can be difficult to present someone else's work without having enough time to prepare, but I think hearing at least a little bit about those missing sections would have been helpful. Besides that, I thought the two members did a great job making the best out of their situation and getting their main points across.

Overall, I really enjoyed these presentations and the different topics that each group covered. I think they were a good reminder of how many different issues are connected to elections and why it is important for us to stay informed. I also enjoyed the timing in which we did the presentations, it definetly helped us be more informed with things going on right now. Before this presentation i wasnt really informed much about these topics but in listening and reaserching ive become more interested in these ideas and problems we face.