Like many Americans, students learned on Wednesday morning that Donald Trump had won the 2024 Presidential election against Kamala Harris, making him the 47th President of the United States.
The campus mood involving the election results, particularly the presidential race, was mixed, with wide-ranging opinions. For some, it was a cause for celebration. For others, it marked a difficult chapter in the nation’s history.
For biotechnology senior Kendall Paige, Trump’s election set a poor example for younger generations, particularly for women.
“I was very sad that Trump was elected because it didn’t set a good example for children and younger generations,” Paige said. “A man convicted of several crimes became a role model for young children, especially boys, who are now going around saying, ‘your body, my choice.’”
Paige expressed concern over misogynistic behavior in classrooms and daily life, particularly regarding its negative impact on young girls who might not feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles. She saw the election results reinforced poor societal expectations, which hindered women’s leadership success.
History sophomore Jane Harris found the election results deeply emotional and viewed them as a setback for the country.
“I told my friends, ‘yeah, this broke me,’” Harris said. “We have all this evidence showing why Trump and Vance shouldn’t be in office, and they still won the popular and electoral vote. I believe Kamala’s identity—being a woman of color, both Black and Indian—played a major factor in this.”
Harris described what she views as a problem with the education system in America, especially with people staying informed on the topic of the news and how that comes into play with the election. Harris also believes the patriarchal system is at fault for the exclusion of women from higher office, and believes that this election result demonstrates that the governmental system has always been a “boy’s club.”
The sentiment amongst some on campus was focused on the specific issues that impact women and the lack of female representation in higher offices. For many, the results plainly reveal the inadequacy of our country in making progressive strides toward a more inclusive community. Other students were not looking forward to discussing the post-election fallout.
Digital animation and game design senior Jonathan Diaz de Leon said he was concerned about post-election tensions, especially between friends. Diaz de Leon said that while he doesn’t consider himself very political, he believes the solution to the tension is to accept the outcome and move forward.
“It happened the way it happened,” Diaz de Leon said. “You just have to respect that and respect other people’s opinions. I won’t let it affect me and my friends. If we disagree, I’m just going to leave it be.”
For certain students, frequent concerns about these results and the tensions that occurred after the election. However, some had a sunnier outlook on the matter. HVACR sophomore Caleb Kaiser, for instance, shared a more optimistic view of the election and believed the tension surrounding it was subsiding.
“It’s been pretty great,” Kaiser said. “I’m thrilled with the outcome, and I’m glad that it’s decisive. There’s no debating on what happens next. I don’t think it’s very controversial at the end of the day. I don’t think there’s going to be any core battles or anything like that.”
Some students experienced their very first election this year. The election allowed them to determine whether the course of the country should stay the same or shift further to the right. One such student decided it was time for a change.
PGA golf management freshman Tristin Elliott had a diplomatic opinion on the election results and believes that misinformation regarding the candidates is prevalent across the board.
“I voted for Trump. I can understand why people are disappointed,” Elliott said. “Obviously, if Kamala had won, it would not have been the result I would have wanted, but I feel like Trump did a good job for the values I hold, especially on the economy. That’s the main reason why he received my vote. I know there’s a lot of speculation out there, but I feel like if you do your research a little more, you’ll realize that some of the things you see about both Trump and Kamala aren’t the most honest.”
While some students had partisan opinions on the results, others expressed general dissatisfaction with the whole electoral process. Welding engineering junior Alex Woodfield shared concerns about the nation’s division and his reluctance to participate.
“It’s very divided, and I think that played a huge part in why I didn’t want to vote,” Woodfield said. “I’ve seen a lot of hate from a lot of different people, and the way I live my life, I try to live it as hate-free as possible, in whatever way that looks.”
Woodfield further explained his detachment from the political process and made his case for avoiding what he might consider the lesser of two evils.
“When I tried to do research, I didn’t like either candidate,” Woodfield said. “For me, I’d rather not vote than vote for someone I didn’t fully support.”
For many students, there was a sense of not being included in the political process, as many younger generations felt their voices were not being heard and lacked proper representation that reflected their inherent values.
Student opinions on the election results varied, but one aspect remains clear: The nation underwent significant change over the week, impacting many students across campus.