Traci Carpenter just wanted to make sure this year's presidential candidates took time from their campaigning to explain how they're different from each other, so the journalism senior took her own time to write an essay.

That essay recently won the Newsweek/mtvU essay contest for her thoughts on the aforementioned issue and how candidates do not explain what they are going to do to help the young voters demographic. Her 800-word essay, which beat out 100 other entries, can be read in the current issue of Newsweek.

"I don't think we should be lumped together and have the label 'youth vote,'" Carpenter said, "It affects how the government views us, and they don't take a closer look at our individual issues."

Her essay impressed those at the two companies because of her confusion and frustration with the government. Newsweek, a 3.1 million circulation magazine, focuses on international and national affairs, science and technology, arts and entertainment. The college station, mtvU, is the largest television network for college students, airing at more than 700 schools across the nation. It can be seen in various locations around campus.

"I think she did a terrific job of showing the contradictions college students face in their lives, and that they cannot be easily identified," mtvU General Manager Stephen Friedman said. "There is a historical perception that young people aren't listening, and I think she challenges that."

In Carpenter's essay, she writes, "I am the youth vote. And I'm tired of being preached at, studied and wooed. I want to be educated, listened to, and most of all, respected."

She said a research assignment from one of her journalism classes prompted her to do the essay. Having a political science cognate, Carpenter decided to study how the media portrays youth, especially in election years for her research.

"I found a lot of negative perceptions about our age group going to the polls. Not too many reasons were given why, but there was a lot of analyzing," she said.

MSU journalism professor Stephen Lacy said the government tends to be condescending toward students and not take them seriously. An issue, which Lacy said, needs to be addressed.

"We have way too many people who don't vote," Lacy said, adding encouraging political participation, like Carpenter did, is a notable cause.