After this year’s controversial election came to an end in early November, political newcomer Donald J. Trump slid into victory. He surpassed Hillary Clinton, an experienced politician. This unexpected win came as a surprise to most students at SLVHS, and as one can see in the survey, most were not happy.
Out of 194 responses, almost 56% of students said that they felt disappointed by the results of the 2016 Presidential Election. As students could vote for more than one emotion, some of the other most voted for were scared, sad, and angry. When asked about her feelings about the election, Junior Cassidy White sharply stated, “It’s almost like a step back in rights. We fought so hard for equality, and we didn’t even manage to get all the way there. So for Trump to base his campaign against women and minorities is insane.”
However, about 18% of students surveyed held the opposite opinion about the way the election went. Sophomore Cody Noble passionately declared that “the government has power now because everything will be Republican” and “things are finally going to get done.” He feels this election was very successful, and that our country’s division and issues will be fixed because Trump is a “successful businessman.”
Not every Republican at SLVHS shared the same sentiment though. Senior Amanda Rinnert, who is usually more right-wing, stated that she “wished there had been a better candidate for the party” because “Trump just isn’t
a good person.”
Although most students at SLVHS expressed strong opinions, some, like Junior Zahira Elmansoumi, reacted with complete indifference when asked about this year’s election. She sees these highly opinionated groups going at each other’s throats and thinks “people are over exaggerating on both sides.” Mostly though, she just “doesn’t care.”
Interestingly enough, there were two things that both Democrats and Republicans agreed on when they were interviewed. First, most believed that Hillary Clinton was not the best option if she had won. Even extreme left-
wing liberals agreed that they had wished that the Democratic nominee was someone else. “Hillary Clinton wasn’t a great option, but she has a lot more experience,” stated White.
Secondly, they said that America stands extremely divided right now, and that Mr. Trump has to focus his efforts on bringing the country together. “I just hope this election doesn’t divide us more than it has already,” said Rinnert.
Trump’s presidency will undoubtedly make history, either breaking boundaries and pulling a divided nation together again, or one that will go down in flames. White expressed what many are most likely feeling when she said, “I’m just hoping he does a good job.”
by Aiden LeRoux
The Claw 