Turning 18 is exciting; you can buy a lotto ticket, cigar or dry ice. However when I turned 18 last month, my adulthood meant much more than making a trip to the gas station to buy a scratch ticket. On Nov. 4, I will vote in the 2008 presidential election.

When I was 10 years old, I calculated that I would be eligible to vote in the 2008 election. While I was excited at the time (I am raised in a fairly politically oriented family), it seemed as if the day would never come. Now it has.

At age 10, I was unaware that I would be a part of such a nail-biting and historical election. The age discrepancy between the two candidates John McCain and Barack Obama is the largest in history. On top of this, we may elect our nation’s first black president. These are two of the many topics that have sparked conversations in school classrooms, around household dinner tables and among people who showed no interest in politics before this election.

Hillary Clinton had people buzzing with excitement when she advanced deep into the Democratic candidate race, and now Gov. Sarah Palin has continued this representation of women in politics.

I feel fortunate to able to vote. I am one of few seniors who can, yet even those who cannot are avidly involved in the election. The genuine enthusiasm expressed by the students of Inglemoor High at the outcome of this election is refreshing. I am pleased to say that the stereotypical nonchalant teen who doesn’t care about politics is difficult to find at Inglemoor.

Whichever candidate is elected, they will have to immediately tend to issues such as our economic crisis after taking office.

On Nov. 4, our nation will decide which direction our country will be headed for the next four years. When I cast my ballot (yay!), my childhood will be officially over; legally, my voice will be heard. I can no longer use the excuse that I am just a kid who can’t make a difference.

Elsa Watland is an Inglemoor High senior.