Come November, students who are registered to vote will cast their ballot to decide who will be the next president. For many of us who were too young to vote in 2012, it will be our first time voting for a president. The elusive millennial vote is one that both candidates are struggling to capture, especially in light of the third-party candidates who are presenting themselves to young voters as attractive alternatives to the status quo. While this should be an exciting time for us as we prepare to have our votes counted for the first time, we too often get lost in the day-to-day ennui of a campaign season. The same students who were most fervently feeling the Bern are now feeling burned by the system. But we cannot afford to sit this one out.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign has not been without its flaws, but it has demonstrated a fundamental desire to facilitate a dialogue with young voters, a goal largely absent on the opposing side. By appearing in popular formats like Between Two Ferns and Humans of New York, the Clinton campaign is attempting to communicate with millennials through their own unique channels. It sounds trite, but as an electorate, Americans need to remember that all of the candidates are only human beings. Of course, only one of these human beings claims that he alone can defeat ISIS and that, up until this week, President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Still, though, only human.

There are less than 50 days until the election, which means there is no time to waste. If the American voters, particularly young voters, do not want to hand the highest office in the land over to a lying, fear-mongering, misogynistic xenophobe, then we had better start taking this seriously. A vote for anybody besides Hillary Clinton is a vote for Donald Trump, plain and simple. Furthermore, a vote for Hillary Clinton is not simply, as Jill Stein’s merchandise declares, “the lesser evil.” Only one person in this contest has proven himself time and time again to be, in a word, deplorable. Hillary Clinton is not Donald Trump with a few different policies and a better makeup artist. She is an intelligent, hardworking woman who has already accomplished an astonishing amount for this country, and who will continue to do so if elected president.

So much is discussed in our culture on the subject of millennials. Countless thinkpieces and news reports over the years have tried to define our generation, but to no avail. We are a magnificent and diverse group who defy labels and expectations. We have the world at our fingertips, and it is up to us to ensure that this continues. Through taking action in this election, we can prove our ability to come together and rise above in the name of progress and equality of opportunity for all.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, September 26th print edition. Email Annie Cohen at [email protected].