It may seem counterproductive to ask college students to watch President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address tonight considering the state of the job market.

But whether students are into politics or not, watching the address is one of the easiest ways to stay up to date with our most pressing issues.

In a representative democracy, our personal contribution is our vote. By taking the time to access information to which we have a right, we can better dictate where our vote would be best used.

Some necessary issues to be covered for this address are a compelling economic strategy, promise of national security and an understanding of compromise on issues dealing with health care.

These are some of the most prevalent issues facing us today. While no decision should be taken lightly, it is time for the political ball to get rolling so we may achieve true, tangible results by 2012. Americans need to relearn how to debate and compromise.

Regardless of political orientation, it’s better to be armed with facts than be armed with words.

Associate web editor Rebecca Jeffrey for the editorial board.