On the night of Nov. 2, a group of TCU students went to KXAS NBC Channel 5 as volunteers to enter elections results into the system, myself included. Many of us were nervous and unsure of what to do. But we eventually found a rhythm and without thinking about it, we became a part of the democratic process.

We saw what happened behind the scenes during an election and heard what the people who run the elections had to say. We typed, phoned and updated from 6 p.m. to midnight and left laughing and talking about how great it had been.

I think one of the reasons this experience was so fun is that even though it was a group of TCU students being nerdy and working through the night, we loved what we were doing, and we felt like we were a part of something huge.

It was really wonderful to see people, some who were voting for the first time, gathering together to care about America. We had different political views, but we all cared, and that was a common bond.

The media has recently been talking about how younger voters feel abandoned and no longer feel like they’re a part of something, which is why they are not participating nearly as much as they did in the 2008 election. But it doesn’t have to be the campaign of a century to inspire you, and it isn’t up to the politicians to baby you along and ask for you to be involved.

Find your own way to get involved. Go with a group of dorky friends, or go alone and make a group of dorky friends and get moving.

The country honestly needs you to contribute. This was a very exciting election to watch and it had a major impact on our government. To be a part of it, even in a small way, makes people feel like they’re contributing to the breath of the nation.

Tori Bell is a freshman photography major from Dallas.