Donald Trump becomes next president
On Nov. 8, viewers tuned in from all across the country to witness the 58th presidential election. The four declared presidential candidates were D-Hillary Clinton, R-Donald Trump, G-Jill Stein and L-Gary Johnson. In the end, Trump won 30 states and Clinton won 20 states as well as Washington District of Columbia. Trump received 290 and Clinton 232 electoral votes. Although Clinton received more popular votes than her opponents did, the candidate with the most electoral votes wins the presidency no matter the amount of popular votes; Trump thus won the presidential election.
Senior and president of the Republican Club Josh Medina explained why he chose to support the Republican party.
“I grew up in a Republican household, but I have done my own research and I chose this party because I am for small government, non-government interference and equality for everyone,” Medina said. “I believe in giving people a hand and not a handout and that the economy is a really big issue that we need to work on. Foreign policy and the Second Amendment are really big [issues as well].”
On the other side, Democrats in favor of Clinton expressed concern for the following years. Senior Benjamin Kelly, president of the Democrats Club, explains how Trump’s plans will affect him.
“Since we are going to have someone who is very regressive on climate policy, [the outcome] is going to affect my [future] children and everyone around me,” Kelly said.
Kelly expressed his fears of Trump’s term as president. He believes problems such as global warming, funding for students entering into college and possible problems that arise for minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and women will not be resolved during the term of Trump’s presidency.
Senior Samal Senaratna, one of the two vice presidents of the Democrats Club, discussed how the election results will impact him as a minority and as a student.
“I definitely think the election results will impact me as a student going into college because I do not know what type of funding I will get or how the education structure will change,” Senaratna said. “I am Sri Lankan and my parents are immigrants [who] came here on the ideal of an American dream, and now it seems that that dream is tattered.”
Senaratna believes Trump’s goals do not focus on solving the problems in society that Senaratna feels are just as important, like ensuring the safety of minorities and spending time to figure out ways to help students pay for college. However, according to The Daily Caller, Trump does make promises to put his energy into the cleanup of Washington, protection of American workers, building of the Southern border dividing wall, reversal of Obamacare, rebuilding of military bases and more.
“I am afraid of what will happen to me, and whether I am going to be subjected to more discrimination and racial bias than I already am,” Senaratna said. “I am worried about what is going to happen to fellow students of color or those who are just outside the social norm, like LGBT individuals or immigrants.”
