The elections have come and gone, and, whether we agree with the outcomes or not, we are all stuck with them. So what is there to be done, now that it’s all over?

Many students find themselves in an awkward situation come election time. Not yet 18, they are too young to vote, but old enough to care about the issues at stake.

So what’s left to do? For some, it’s a pointless issue; if they can’t vote, why bother even paying attention to the race, each parties’ stance or the options available to the under 18 crowd. For them, once the excitement of the election is over, life simply morphs back to normal, continuing just as it did before, until the next election rolls around.

But for others, the second one election is over, the next begins. After pausing to either celebrate or mourn the first election’s outcome, they throw themselves into the next campaign.

Granted, most high school students are not this wrapped up in the activity of the political world. And, in all honesty, that’s probably a good thing. Teenagers have a lot on their plates- school, friends, college- without tying themselves up in a political knot.

And yet amidst all the bustle of high school, it can be only too easy to forget that we even have a Congress, a Supreme Court or even a President. After all, it’s not like most of their decisions directly affect us. They play almost no roll in our day-to-day lives.

But does that mean we shouldn’t care? “Out of sight, out of mind?” We think not.

Just because we aren’t directly involved in the political machinery, that doesn’t mean we should ignore it. Teenagers are all too often stereotyped as shallow and callous to the needs of others?shouldn’t we do what we can to disprove this label?

It may seem like there’s nothing we can do, but opportunities are out there, if you’re willing to get up off the couch and go find them.

Local political parties are always in need of volunteers. If you’re passionate about a party and their beliefs, go out and volunteer some time to help get your message across.

Don’t ignore local politics. While the national scene often seems distant, the decisions your mayor and city council are making today will almost certainly affect you sometime in your life. If you disagree with their actions, go out and protest. If you agree, write a letter to the editor of your local paper.

Yet the most important thing teenagers can do is stay informed. So many of us go through our lives with no clue about what’s going on in the world around us. It’s time to stop and pick up a newspaper, or maybe turn off your favorite sitcom in lieu of the national news once and awhile. We guarantee you’ll learn something.

And don’t let it stop there. Don’t just sit and stare at the TV screen; simply absorbing the news doesn’t make you an informed citizen. When you watch, really think about what it is you’re watching. Do you agree with the issues you hear about? What is your stance? And could you defend your beliefs intelligently to someone who disagrees with you?

Many teens don’t want to put that kind of effort into something as “boring” as politics. And that’s only to be expected. But for those who do extend the effort to become truly informed citizens, your efforts will be well worth it. Not only will you learn a thing or two about politics, geography and the way the world works, but you will also become a United States citizen of the highest order, truly embodying the ideal of government “of the people, for the people and by the people”.