Tonight is the third and final presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

The preceding debates have raked in record-breaking viewership numbers, and tonight’s will surely do the same. Social media has corresponded alongside, with quips and quotes from news outlets, comedians and peers, filling the majority of our scrolling iPhone screens.

The presence of social media in our lives has translated to a presence of political activity in our generation’s conversation. There has been an inarguable increase of political activity on our campus, making the upcoming election unavoidable.

And rightly so. As both candidates have noted, this is an election that will define the trajectory of our country and world. They have two very different opinions on what is needed for our country to succeed, therefore developing two very passionate followings.

The idea of an “undecided voter” seems impossible to some, but they do exist, and in the plenty. Tonight the two candidates will vie to win these remaining floaters, yet even the hour-plus of conversation and interjections provided in tonight’s debate is not enough to thoroughly understand the policies of the two candidates.

Leading up to the Nov. 6 election day, this opinions page will be examining and comparing the policies of the two presidential hopefuls. A team of columnists will cover topics ranging from foreign policy, to social issues to the economy, collaborating together to create a non-partisan explanation of the importance of the topic addressed, specifically adhering to college-students. These teams will then split, creating both a pro-Obama and pro-Romney column to cohabitate the page.

We will also look at select issues within Alabama, including constitutional amendments and potential electors. Whether you are from Alabama or not, you go to school here, and decisions made in Montgomery will affect what happens in Tuscaloosa. We urge you to educate yourself before you get to the polls.

The candidates agree on one thing: what the problems are. It is in the solution where they differ, and both candidates vehemently feel they are correct. The next few days, we will strive to explain their arguments, providing tools to build an informed voter. We welcome discussion via letters to the editor, online comments and social media interactions.

As tempting as it is to make decisions based on the opinions of your peers, your vote will be that much more powerful if it is based on your own conclusion. Yes, to some the countdown to the election is nothing more than a countdown to the end of political talk, and have chosen “apathy” in place of a ballot; but assuming that since you picked up the paper today, you must not be one of those people.

Our generation is one that will be most affected by the presidential outcome. We should be the ones paying the most attention.

SoRelle Wyckoff is the opinions editor for The Crimson White.