Thinking Outside the Box: Campaign commercials and N*E*R*D

My name is Rebecca ‘B FRESH’ McDonald. I am 24, and an active and engaged voting citizen, born, raised, and reporting from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. But, I was not always active and engaged. When recalling my first time voting back in 2002, it was very intimidating, since I didn’t come from a “political” family, and I had no previous knowledge of the political process. I did not know anything about the candidates besides information in the campaign commercials broadcasted between the evening news and the latest prescription drug advertisements. I became more engaged when I realized that I could use my voice to influence others and make a genuine difference in my community.

I am an advocate for using music as a way of reaching young people across the world. You find young people walking to the bus stop in the morning listening to their iPod, exchanging playlists and checking for the latest music. Not to sound cliché, but music really does make the world go round. My favorite Rock the Vote artist is the group N*E*R*D because they have the ability to influence young people, and they have made a statement by supporting the work of Rock the Vote. Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley take the time to encourage young people to exercise their power and potential in whatever they do.



As a Rock the Trail Reporter, I will challenge readers to think outside of the box and encourage critical thinking and questioning. Why did this politician support this bill? And why does that even matter to me? I will break stories about young people across the country who are using their voice to create change. I will highlight critical issues and opinions of young people, straight from the streets. And provide interviews with young people, surprise guests and elected officials, all addressing the importance of the youth vote in this upcoming election.