This year’s political race has been like no other. With many different candidates pushing for a number of conflicting ideas, Americans have a lot to choose from, but one thing remains constant: Americans want change, and they want it now.

However, based on what I’ve seen and experienced throughout my life, I’m skeptical.

It’s not unusual for a president to hand out empty promises to the public, and many are being handed out by the presidential candidates. I personally only have trust in Bernie Sanders even though I think Hillary Clinton’s policies are somewhat reasonable.

As far as candidates go, Sanders seems to be the go-to for many of Guilford College’s students.

“The best presidential candidate is Bernie Sanders because he is the closest we’ve ever come to a presidential candidate that has honestly diagnosed the real-life conditions of the United States,” said senior Noah McDonald.

Though Hillary Clinton has been outpacing Bernie, her history in the foreground of recent American politics and involvement with big businesses on Wall Street have produced varying results.

“She’s still so beholden to investment banks, financial firms and Wall Street, and despite how much she talks about wanting to pass universal health care, she’s still being funded by insurance companies and drug manufacturing companies,” said senior Ben Evans.

Her inconsistencies have turned some people off despite her policies.

“Due to these inconsistencies, I cannot trust her and worry she is too old school politically in her thinking,” said senior Layla Rafaoui.

Even though Hillary has an extensive background in politics and has done a lot for this country, she still doesn’t have my trust.

This political race has a different feel compared to the ones in the past. There have been some big surprises with surprising results. Republican candidate Donald Trump seems to be the key reason.

Trump’s appearance as a candidate changed the traditional tone of the presidential race with his hardcore conservative ideas and policies that strongly conflict with the progressive ideals of other Americans. This and his Hollywood style and iconic personality have managed to change the race into more of a performance.

“The presidential race is a spectacle. It acts as a form of entertainment rather than a place for prospective voters to transparently view candidates and policies,” said McDonald.

That’s exactly what it is. You can’t log onto Facebook or turn on the TV without seeing some video clip or news report about something crazy Trump said or Sanders’ outstanding political correctness. The reactions filtered through social media change the intensity and radicalize the topics.

As for what this country needs, there are multitudes of different ideas that Guilford students have in mind.

“This country needs a new direction toward growth and individual acceptance,” said senior James Rinearson.

Change is a common theme.

“This country needs a revolution that assures we follow our democratic principles and assure no one is unable to thrive or at least survive,” said Rafaoui.

Others are more specific.

“This country needs to eliminate the prison-industrial complex, demilitarize the police and streamline immigration processes,” said McDonald.

The list goes on and on.

Guilford students, like all other Americans, want change.

More specifically, we want progressive change.

Ideas on social reform and the overall treatment of people, especially the middle and lower class, seem to hold weight on this campus, boosting candidates that support these ideas.

This is good. Social reform needs to happen in order to create better cohesion and cooperation within the population.

Focus on how the communities interact with each other and institutions is a necessity to produce trust within the diverse population of America.

As the race progresses, try not to give weight to the more-than-a-little-biased videos of Facebook and big-time news stations. Do your own research. Learn about the candidates and what they’re really about, not what other people think of them.

Don’t let others form your opinion. Do it yourself.