The air is thick with hairspray and empty promises. Red, white, and blue tour buses are criss-crossing the country. This can only mean one thing — the presidential campaign season is upon us.

With only 431 days left until the next president is decided, politicians are buttoning their suit jackets, donning their flag lapel pins, and chowing down on regional delicacies. And most of the country — Guilford students included — is watching with rapt attention as these politicos spout sound bites.

Staying up-to-date on all the candidates and campaign moves can be a full-time job in and of itself. That being said, you still need to follow MTV’s advice and “Rock the Vote.”

For those who aren’t inclined to follow each candidate on Twitter it becomes all too easy to be apathetic, or worse, to simply toe the party line.

A quick survey of bumper stickers around campus will reveal that the party line at Guilford is almost undeniably pro-Obama, but a mass of bumper stickers shouldn’t be enough to win your precious vote. Your vote should be awarded on the facts and hopefully not empty promises ,and not on how a candidate orders a Philly Cheesesteak.

That’s where this column comes in. Rather than expecting each of you to give up studying and socializing in favor of scouring the Internet for the latest updates, we’ll do it for you.

From candidate meltdowns to polls and primaries, it is our job as the news organization at a politically-minded college to keep you up-to-date.

More than just delivering the facts, though, we hope to put them in perspective. We hope to provide you with knowledge about all the candidates, even the ones you don’t like or didn’t know existed, and a frame of reference with which to view them.

At a time when so many things seem to be going wrong for America and party lines are being drawn deeper than ever, it is imperative that we remember that politicians aren’t trying to destroy us.

Whether you realize it or not, underneath those strangely white teeth and baby-kissing lips is someone who genuinely thinks he or she has America and her citizens’ best interests at heart.

It is in that spirit that this column will go forth. It is that spirit that we as reporters hope to uphold. And it is that spirit that we hope to impress upon you.

Let the games begin.