“Elections are supposed to be positive. Getting a new leader is not supposed to be a negative thing, but everything has become an argument.”
MattSmith’s views on politics are shaped, in part, by his family, his economic outlook, and his religion. He does not come from what he would call a conservative republican family, but his family did vote for Donald Trump. For Smith, a vote for Trump meant a vote for lower gas prices, a ordable groceries, and an end to wars. Now that the election is over, Smith feels that it is important for everyone, even those for voted against Trump, to root for his success.
“ e biggest promise he made is to x the economic issues and I think everyone could agree that's going to help everyone. I think that's something everyone should look forward to and think about as a positive, too, because it could help a lot of people,” Smith said.
As a student who is on the verge of becoming a voter, issues mean more to Smith than any political party. He has noticed the same about many students at Campbell Hall. He views the Campbell Hall community as one that focuses on issues rather than speci cally a particular political
BY THE NUMBERS:
ELECTION RESULTS
THIRTY FIVE NEARLY TEN TWENTY EIGHT SIXTY FIVE
LOCKDOWN LESSONS
Inside: Hearts raced in hushed classrooms. Eyes darted from the locked door to other students' faces looking for reassurance that everything was going to be okay. The air in the room was thick with an unspoken dread at what lies behind the walls of the classroom. In the tense and stressful environment of a school lockdown, like the shelter in place on September 18, the need for communication becomes evident.
Story on page 4
The personal in politics
Election 2024
a liation. For Smith, who sees electives as divisive, the focus on issues is important to healing our country’s divides.
“America is at its best anytime when [an] election is not happening,” Smith said. “America is most divided during election time because everyone's emotional, opinions are ying, there's protests, there's rallies. Like, it couldn't be a more divided country than it is during election time.”
Smith’s observations about the divisiveness of politics in our country also show up on the school campus. Especially during an election year, Smith has felt criticized or stereotyped for his political views. While he does not see himself as traditionally conservative and holds many seemingly liberal views, like supporting immigrants and bodily autonomy, he has found that once people hear his views on something like the economy he is unfairly pigeonholed.
“[I have been] stereotyped as a conservative person and it's not fair to do that, without a proper conversation, Smith said. “Every person has so many di erent values, it would take hours to gure out what they really believe in.”
For Smith, America will be its best when it is better for everyone, republicans and democrats alike. He believes that America has been better in the past and looks forward to a better future.
“When there's no wars in the world, when the economy is good, when quality of life just improves overall, I think that's when America is usually at its best.”
percent of voters were con dent in the results of the election, and 84% of them voted for Harris.
percent of voters were not con dent in the results of the election, and 79% of them voted for Trump.
percent of voters were aged 65 and older, making up the majority of voters in the 2024 election.
percent of voters believed that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 34% believed that it should be considered illegal in all or most cases.
“I am very, very disappointed.”
Gigi Johnson ‘27 believes that political parties have become incredibly polarized which compromised what should have been a unifying moment in history.
“We're all in competition rather than in collaboration,” Johnson said. “I think that's the biggest opposing force right now because it makes it really challenging to be able to unite and agree on anything in this country. Regardless, people are always going to be happy, people are always going to be sad, people are always going to be frustrated or satis ed. You can't make everyone happy, but this division is the biggest issue we have right now.”
Johnson believes the rst step toward a uni ed America is to heal the divides between political parties in particular. For example, she believes women, regardless of political party, have come together in the ght towards ensuring reproductive rights for all women, a topic that Johnson is in full support of. e upsetting part about this election for her was seeing the negative e ects it had on the people around her.
“Seeing the e ect on other people of certain policies that have been implemented, and certain systems, has been a little bit hurtful,” Johnson said. “ e biggest one really is Roe v. Wade being overturned and the con icts in di erent
states about abortion rights. Especially because, by the next election, [I] will be able to vote. And so, the thought of being an adult by the next election and possibly not having certain rights as a woman is scary.”
In a particularly divisive election year, Johnson believes it is more important than ever for people to come together. However, she does not see this e ort being made.
“I think a lot of people are upset by the recent election and have a lot of bold opinions, which continues to divide us,” Johnson said. “But I also think that it's the same people who are upset about the results that understand that it's important to work together in order to to change in the future for the better. I think having these conversations is the most important, because, unless people start to realize that we have issues that we need to talk about, there's really [no] point in having other conversations.”
To Johnson, an ideal America protects the freedoms and rights of all people.
“I think there's a lot of there's a lot of sadness, but I also think it was grieved and now it's starting to become something more positive,” Johnson said. “People are starting to come together because they realize that they're the only way that we can change anything. e biggest thing for me, personally, is everyone having personal rights and personal freedoms and not having to be controlled by a certain group who has more power than others. I think that would
“As a teenage girl, it’s defnitely frustrating and upsetting [to see the results of this election]. It impacts the way we [teenage girls] feel about the future.”
Scout Hardie '27 has been a ected by politics herself and watched them a ect the people around her. Specifically, she has seen how much the outcome of the election has a ected people's emotions. Hardie witnesses how the past few weeks have been hard and how people are stressed and reevaluating their choices.
“America at its best has freedom, natural rights, and equality for everyone–
men and women alike, Hardie said. “I don’t think those values are present in America right now [and will be hard to achieve] with Donald Trump as president, I don't believe Trump can ful ll those values for us.”
Hardie has been very stressed and sad about the outcome of the election, and her and her family have been taking it very seriously. Once Trump was deemed elected, Hardie noticed lots of anger, speci cally on social media and has seen many people getting into ghts and how di erent opinions are creating tension.
“I think we’re heading toward deeper division, Hardie said. “Women are already feeling isolated, and I think it’s only going to get worse unless something changes. I don’t think this situation is bringing people together.”
While she is frustrated, Hardie hasn’t
witnessed many arguments as she is not surrounded by many Trump supporters. Overall she thinks the biggest challenge America faces is the fact that our 47th president is a rapist and a criminal, but thinks that America as a whole can address this challenge.
“ ere’s always room for more action, Hardia said. “But, I feel like Kamala is doing her best to give hope to those upset about the laws, signaling that she hasn’t given up.”
While Hardie views this election as a big setback, she believes there's ways to promote unity through the community. She is hopeful that the Campbell Hall community can come together and bridge some of the current divides.
It’s di cult to promote unity because not everyone is always on the same page,” Hardia said. “But smaller actions,
“Elections are supposed to be positive. Getting a new leader is not supposed to be a negative thing, but everything has become an argument.”
MattSmith’s views on politics are shaped, in part, by his family, his economic outlook, and his religion. He does not come from what he would call a conservative republican family, but his family did vote for Donald Trump. For Smith, a vote for Trump meant a vote for lower gas prices, a ordable groceries, and an end to wars. Now that the election is over, Smith feels that it is important for everyone, even those for voted against Trump, to root for his success.
“ e biggest promise he made is to x the economic issues and I think everyone could agree that's going to help everyone. I think that's something everyone should look forward to and think about as a positive, too, because it could help a lot of people,” Smith said.
As a student who is on the verge of becoming a voter, issues mean more to Smith than any political party. He has noticed the same about many students at Campbell Hall. He views the Campbell Hall community as one that focuses on issues rather than speci cally a particular political
BY THE NUMBERS:
ELECTION RESULTS
THIRTY FIVE NEARLY TEN TWENTY EIGHT SIXTY FIVE
LOCKDOWN LESSONS
Inside: Hearts raced in hushed classrooms. Eyes darted from the locked door to other students' faces looking for reassurance that everything was going to be okay. The air in the room was thick with an unspoken dread at what lies behind the walls of the classroom. In the tense and stressful environment of a school lockdown, like the shelter in place on September 18, the need for communication becomes evident.
Story on page 4
special coverage
Election 2024
a liation. For Smith, who sees electives as divisive, the focus on issues is important to healing our country’s divides.
“America is at its best anytime when [an] election is not happening,” Smith said. “America is most divided during election time because everyone's emotional, opinions are ying, there's protests, there's rallies. Like, it couldn't be a more divided country than it is during election time.”
Smith’s observations about the divisiveness of politics in our country also show up on the school campus. Especially during an election year, Smith has felt criticized or stereotyped for his political views. While he does not see himself as traditionally conservative and holds many seemingly liberal views, like supporting immigrants and bodily autonomy, he has found that once people hear his views on something like the economy he is unfairly pigeonholed.
“[I have been] stereotyped as a conservative person and it's not fair to do that, without a proper conversation, Smith said. “Every person has so many di erent values, it would take hours to gure out what they really believe in.”
For Smith, America will be its best when it is better for everyone, republicans and democrats alike. He believes that America has been better in the past and looks forward to a better future.
“When there's no wars in the world, when the economy is good, when quality of life just improves overall, I think that's when America is usually at its best.”
percent of voters were con dent in the results of the election, and 84% of them voted for Harris.
percent of voters were not con dent in the results of the election, and 79% of them voted for Trump.
percent of voters were aged 65 and older, making up the majority of voters in the 2024 election.
percent of voters believed that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 34% believed that it should be considered illegal in all or most cases.
“I am very, very disappointed.”
Gigi Johnson ‘27 believes that political parties have become incredibly polarized which compromised what should have been a unifying moment in history.
“We're all in competition rather than in collaboration,” Johnson said. “I think that's the biggest opposing force right now because it makes it really challenging to be able to unite and agree on anything in this country. Regardless, people are always going to be happy, people are always going to be sad, people are always going to be frustrated or satis ed. You can't make everyone happy, but this division is the biggest issue we have right now.”
Johnson believes the rst step toward a uni ed America is to heal the divides between political parties in particular. For example, she believes women, regardless of political party, have come together in the ght towards ensuring reproductive rights for all women, a topic that Johnson is in full support of. e upsetting part about this election for her was seeing the negative e ects it had on the people around her.
“Seeing the e ect on other people of certain policies that have been implemented, and certain systems, has been a little bit hurtful,” Johnson said. “ e biggest one really is Roe v. Wade being overturned and the con icts in di erent
states about abortion rights. Especially because, by the next election, [I] will be able to vote. And so, the thought of being an adult by the next election and possibly not having certain rights as a woman is scary.”
In a particularly divisive election year, Johnson believes it is more important than ever for people to come together. However, she does not see this e ort being made.
“I think a lot of people are upset by the recent election and have a lot of bold opinions, which continues to divide us,” Johnson said. “But I also think that it's the same people who are upset about the results that understand that it's important to work together in order to to change in the future for the better. I think having these conversations is the most important, because, unless people start to realize that we have issues that we need to talk about, there's really [no] point in having other conversations.”
To Johnson, an ideal America protects the freedoms and rights of all people.
“I think there's a lot of there's a lot of sadness, but I also think it was grieved and now it's starting to become something more positive,” Johnson said. “People are starting to come together because they realize that they're the only way that we can change anything. e biggest thing for me, personally, is everyone having personal rights and personal freedoms and not having to be controlled by a certain group who has more power than others. I think that would
“As a teenage girl, it’s defnitely frustrating and upsetting [to see the results of this election]. It impacts the way we [teenage girls] feel about the future.”
Scout Hardie '27 has been a ected by politics herself and watched them a ect the people around her. Specifically, she has seen how much the outcome of the election has a ected people's emotions. Hardie witnesses how the past few weeks have been hard and how people are stressed and reevaluating their choices.
“America at its best has freedom, natural rights, and equality for everyone–
men and women alike, Hardie said. “I don’t think those values are present in America right now [and will be hard to achieve] with Donald Trump as president, I don't believe Trump can ful ll those values for us.”
Hardie has been very stressed and sad about the outcome of the election, and her and her family have been taking it very seriously. Once Trump was deemed elected, Hardie noticed lots of anger, speci cally on social media and has seen many people getting into ghts and how di erent opinions are creating tension.
“I think we’re heading toward deeper division, Hardie said. “Women are already feeling isolated, and I think it’s only going to get worse unless something changes. I don’t think this situation is bringing people together.”
While she is frustrated, Hardie hasn’t
witnessed many arguments as she is not surrounded by many Trump supporters. Overall she thinks the biggest challenge America faces is the fact that our 47th president is a rapist and a criminal, but thinks that America as a whole can address this challenge.
“ ere’s always room for more action, Hardia said. “But, I feel like Kamala is doing her best to give hope to those upset about the laws, signaling that she hasn’t given up.”
While Hardie views this election as a big setback, she believes there's ways to promote unity through the community. She is hopeful that the Campbell Hall community can come together and bridge some of the current divides.
It’s di cult to promote unity because not everyone is always on the same page,” Hardia said. “But smaller actions,
“Right now [politics] really hurts people by pinning them against each other. We’ve seen this election cause friendships to end and families to be torn apart.”
Politics are personal
Chase Samuels ‘25 has grown up surrounded by politics, encouraged to use her voice. She couldn't yet vote, but Samuels was heavily invested in the election, focusing on speci c issues rather than a candidate. During this election, her friendships have changed, and she has noticed how personal this election can be.
She believes that, after Trump's election win, the biggest challenge is now the polarization and isolation the current political climate brings.
"America is so lled with hate and [sadly], sometimes hate is a thing that uni es people, which is why we have such separate and extreme parties. It's become everybody hating each other, and [each party] wants our world to be their representation of America and their idea, which doesn't go well for everyone in America.”
Samuels believes instead that the country should recognize both parties' struggles. Although Samuels didn’t vote, the biggest issue on the ballot for
“It’s already decided. We already know who the president is. There's [nothing to fght] about anymore. It's like sports; once the game's over, it’s over.”
Acore issue for Todd Park in this election was the economy. And, with Donald Trump’s second term as president on the horizon, Park is hoping to see a change. He is hopeful that, not only will our country’s economic policies shift, but also the United States will be able to make change abroad.
“Trump got elected a week ago. He hasn't even stepped in o ce and Putin's going to lay o Israel. He hasn't even gotten to the White House, and he's a threat,” Park said. “Trump will take action quickly. It's the fear of Donald Trump that they will respond to.”
For Park and his family, voting to align with a political party was not a primary concern. Instead, they voted for the candidate that they felt would make the country better. He notices the same thing with the Campbell Hall community.
“People at our school [are] more issue-based, especially with speci c issues like abortion, immigration and the economy. ey aren't saying, ‘Oh, I love this party.’ It's more like, ‘Oh, I like this candidate because they support this issue.’”
One concern Park has as an outcome of the election is people’s ability to move forward. He feels that many people who de ne themselves as Democrats are not able to agree to disagree with Republicans.
“ e Democrats are always going to hate the Republicans, but the Republicans aren't going to hate the Democrats,” Park said. “So many Democrats are so heartfelt and take everything to heart. e Republican party is more pragmatic.”
Because of this division, Park worries about being criticized when he tells someone that he aligns with the Republican party. He hopes to see the ghting between parties — and the people those parties represent — stop.
“Kids are ghting, [and] they have no control whatsoever,” Park said. “It just needs to stop. People say to me, ‘are you a Republican? How can you be a Republican?” Park said. at’s not right. at's not what the US stands for.”
her is abortion rights, re ected in her support for Harris.
“I grew up going to a bunch of women's marches with my mom and understanding that being a woman isn't just having breasts,” Samuels said. “We strived so long to vote, to own houses, to work at well-paying jobs, but now we're going backwards on human rights. [Dobbs v. Jackson] and the abortion laws have a ected me and will continue to a ect me, because I'm a woman and it puts the stakes higher for women to not have control over their own bodies.”
Samuels is very passionate about women’s rights, helping to organize the abortion walkout in 2022 after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. At Campbell Hall, Samuels believes it’s important to foster meaningful political discussions, which can destigmatize some of the polarization and division that she’s seen after the recent election. Samuels believes it's important to talk about politics to see how people are a ected in di erent ways in the rest of the country.
“In our past chapels or conversations in classrooms, some people have gotten the [impression] that [students are] getting silenced. It's important to not talk about [politics] in such an opinionated way, instead talking about it with facts and seeing how di erent political decisions can a ect people's lives."
“Everything
feels so personal and emotionally charged. It makes having conversations about what's going on so heightened.”
Director of Experiential
Education Charlee Corra ‘09 has had tough conversations with friends and family members after the results of the election. Corra believes that in the age of social media, people being able to post whatever they want can overwhelm people’s emotions and make it di cult to discern fact from misinformation. is can make it di cult for people to be open to discussion, especially when it's about topics that people are passionate about.
“I'm seeing a lot of what feels to me, a lack of awareness or willingness to be open to reality
"What makes this country special is that we have the ability to disagree with one another. One of the most mature things a person can do is hold different views from somebody but still remain respectful toward them.”
Elijah Nasseri 25’ believes that everyone should treat others with respect, no matter di erences in political opinion. With personal experience being judged for political beliefs, Nasseri feels that people are much more than just their political beliefs. at said, Nasseri understands the fear that many people are currently feeling about the outcome of this recent election.
“A lot of people I know, who are republican, are hiding their political views because they’re afraid of being judged,” Nasseri said. “My family is divided on the
sometimes,” Corra said. “[ ings like] fact checking and a spread of misinformation. [Which is] leading to acceptance of information that is not true. I'm seeing relationships dissolve and erupt, and in a lot of cases, family is torn apart.”
Corra himself has had tough conversations with friends and family during the election season. Corra is an adamant advocate for LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights. As an educator, Corra believes in setting up his students for success by teaching them that they can move into adulthood without needing to be scared about not being able to be themselves or make their own choices about their body. As a result, he encourages people to take their own time to re ect on the results of this election and what it means to them personally.
“Each person is going to have to navigate [this political division] for themselves,” Corra said. “You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of other people. So no matter what you're feeling, be gentle with yourself and care
perspectives political
“No, I do not [think the voting age should be lowered],” Wegner said. “While I think there are some [younger people] that are very educated, at this point in their lives most [teenagers] don’t have enough substantial information. Instead they rely on TikTok, Instagram or other [social media] sources. When you get older, you’ll be more adept and better able to understand that [social media] should not be your one source of information. [I think that] part of the reason [Democrats] lost the election is because voters] think that they have to vote for [a third party] to change one issue. I know people that would’ve gone and voted for [a third party] because they saw one [political issue] on TikTok and [suddenly] thought they knew everything about it.”
[Israel-Hamas war] issue, but not to the point where we get into full blown arguments about it."
Nasseri feels that the largest topics democrats are worried about are taken to the extreme. One of the biggest worries surrounding the possible ban of abortion has been explicitly stated that it will not be changed, and will remain the same as it was under the Biden administration. He believes that the hatred of the nation is targeted towards Trump when instead it should be directed towards republican states that would be the ones actually enforcing abortion law.
“While I believe that he is a criminal, I don’t think people should be calling him every single name in the book,” Nasseri said. “Especially in our state, there is a lot of controversy surrounding Donald Trump and his policies. I think that our whole country would bene t from approaching politics from a more nuanced and holistic perspective. I think it's really easy to get caught up in the emotions of it all but it's important to approach these issues with a cool head.” “ e biggest challenge our country is currently facing is division between people.
for yourself. If that means taking space and not talking about it, or if that means avoiding certain conversations or avoiding people for a little bit, [you can] decide what you need.
Corra plans to set aside time to process what this election means to him, and has started up the habit of writing down his feelings and thoughts that feel especially emotionally charged as a way of coping. He believes America at its best when the topics he cares about and the rights of his community members are no longer threatened.
“[It is to] honor the humanity of all people,” Corra said. “Acknowledging the interconnectedness of us all, and not just humans, but, all beings and the Earth and our environment and the climate. We're living on this planet together. ere is a need and there is room for joy and hope, and that should be, like, celebrated and embraced and, like. Yeah, I don't know. I think that would lead us to make decisions that helped more people.
The topic
Lowering the voting age
“I do think the voting age should be lowered,” Salmon said. “I do think that in practical applications what we should do is have it be 18 normally. However, if you hold down a job before the age of 18, you should be able to vote. It [follows] the same concept of taxation without representation; if you were able to receive taxation from the government for labor you put in, you should be able to have a say in what the government does and what happens. [Essentially,] I think it should be 18 with exceptions.”
