With Grand Ledge having school the day election results were called, many students had their reactions on full display. Some halls were filled with excitement, many others with apparent disappointment. “I was disappointed because the person I wanted to be elected was in fact not,” senior Kennedy Ray said. Many students at Grand Ledge feel similar to Ray.
This Presidential election cycle students have had an increased interest in the process, especially for students who do not meet the required voting age. Students here at Grand Ledge had that exact feeling. “ I just know that when [Trump] gets into office there is stuff that is gonna be passed that is going to affect me, my friends, my family– I couldn’t vote, but I wanted [Harris] to win because otherwise our country is going to take a turn for the worst,” junior Jay Boulier said.
Many students have suggested that things could have been changed to make the election process run smoother. When asked what things she would change leading up to the election, senior Nadya Styles answered, “I feel like just education. It’s always education, every single election, no one is ever educated. There was also a lot of hatred, it was just very divided.”
A part from education, another apparent concern was how candidates portrayed themselves in the media. “I think the way certain candidates and parties were advertising themselves, things people were trying to say to get people to vote for certain parties, I feel like it was an unlikable part. I think it could have been a little more civil or different than how it was,” Ray said.
Overall students seemed to be most concerned about safety and equity. These concerns were expressed regarding how these qualities were kept throughout the election process, but also moving forward into Trump’s presidency. “This [election] specifically I feel like there was so much hate towards each others that they were just completely blindsided by actual facts,” Styles said.
Ray took an adjacent standpoint, stating, “I’m really nervous about the fact that there are certain plans in place that could be enforced. Trump wasn’t very clear about what he wanted to do, and the places that he was clear were things that I did not necessarily agree with happening.”
