In a survey of the student body from before the election, 75% of students said they would vote for Kamala Harris. On election day, the country disagreed, and for the first time since 2004 a Republican won the popular vote. Students had varied reactions to this outcome. Some expressed disappointment and grief, while others were hopeful about the future.
In a November poll of 122 students, 73% of respondents said that they were disappointed by the result, while just 19% of respondents said they were excited by the election results. The overall mood among students has shifted since the earlier election poll from September when 44% were optimistic about the election, while now just 21% say they think the country is headed in the right direction.
For many students who had been energized by the prospect of a young, female, and minority candidate, the result was a disappointment. Senior Catie Poersch said that the outcome “was really upsetting to me, and I think it was upsetting to a lot of young people who felt like their voices weren’t heard, who feel like there’s not a lot of hope for their future.”
In the week after the election, the counseling office offered students space to speak with counselors, and the chaplains provided spaces for prayer. However, Rev. Lambelet said that while there was a number of faculty who met with chaplains and counselors, she had no students come to her. Mrs. Harrison echoed this, saying that she knew of no students who utilized any of these provided spaces.
Several students who were interviewed mentioned issues including environmental protections, individual rights, and defending democracy that they believe may be threatened by a second Trump administration.
Students also expressed their shock at the outcome. Senior Emerson Dufault stated “I was under the impression, like no way he’s going to win.”
There was also a look to the future, and what might be able to get done in terms of future progress. Freshman Luke Wazorko said that “I’m not that happy about it, but I will say, I’m gonna try to be optimistic.”
For other students who have been dissatisfied with the direction the country has taken over the past four years, the outcome represented a source of hope for change. Issues including immigration and the state of the economy were cited as major concerns. One anonymous student said “I know it’s like, maybe a not so popular opinion, but I feel like we’re heading in the right direction.”
Catie Poersch also said that while she didn’t agree with way that many Americans voted, she did understand what made Trump voters make that choice; “I think a lot of them were just really fed up with the Biden administration, and I think that at the end of the day, Harris’s message just [wasn’t] as clear on how she was going to be different from Biden than she needed to be.”
