Joanna Koefoed has always strongly voiced her political opinion.

But now words alone will not do.

This Mount Pleasant sophomore will be voting for the first time in the presidential election and has big plans for November.

But before any decisions are made, Koefoed wants to be informed.

At 7 p.m. Monday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium, the event “Election 2008: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Voters. How Will You Decide?” allowed students to listen as guest speaker Rick Shenkman spoke on seven political habits that will help individuals stay knowledgeable.

The first habit discussed by Shenkman, author and associate history professor at George Mason University, was to not believe just what people say on the campaign trail.

“How do you become an informed voter?” he asked the crowd, “Read the (New York) Times every day, also the National Review. If enough people will do that, we’ll live in a smarter country.”

The second suggestion was to keep a sense of humor when it comes to politics. View the political arena as a circus, he said, smiling to the crowd.

The third habit is to listen closely when candidates begin speaking as if they grew up in a log cabin. Such myths drive our politics – they help explain who we are, he said.

“A myth is not necessarily a lie, but it is larger than life,” he said.

Statements such as “all men are created equal” is one of those myths Shenkman said.

The fourth habit is to not believe the claim that the candidates are running to help the country. Power and status are a couple of the reasons behind their running, he said.

“Because they are ambitious, but what are they willing to do?” he said.

The fifth habit is to not listen when candidates say they are healthy. Candidates lie more with their health than on taxes and anything else, Shenkman said.

“If people think you’re going to die, it’s hard to ask for their vote,” he said.

One of the reasons behind this is their basic need for privacy, and if they are deemed unhealthy, it undermines their authority, Shenkman said.

The sixth and seventh habits deal with personality and ethics. The speaker assuaged the audience by telling them the sixth habit is to not think that the president will behave as badly in office as he did on the campaign trail.

The last habit is voting for our next president based on his ethics, and not on character or personality alone.

Southfield senior Jonathan Bogan strongly believes in his right to vote and attended this event to stay informed.

“I wanted to hear a conversation about how people generally are as voters,” he said. “I believe in voting no matter what election, our voice matters.”

Voting is not just a political act but also a familiar learning experience for Koefoed, who has gone to the polls with her family ever since she was little.

“When we were kids my parents really stressed that voting is important to us,” Koefoed said.

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E-mail the author: Sherri Keaton