Students React to 2024 Elections

Note: This Article was written in late November 2024, just weeks after the 2024 election cycle concluded. November's Election was an irksome and concerning event for some, a time of celebration for others, and for most a distracting side thought to their life. On the Federal level, the Republican party won control of the congress and presidency. Although they still need to get seven democratic votes in the senate to get most legislation passed they will still have an easy time implementing their agenda. On the local level Alameda has two new city council members and a new vice mayor. Even with all of these changes, most of ASTI seems to be generally ambivalent. Significantly more people didn't vote than voted for one of the major presidential candidates, and local elections had consistently low turnout. ASTI junior Max was not disinterested. He was “surprised” by the result but to him they were also not unexpected. “The lying” is what he found most concerning about Trump and the fact that “he will be enabled more”. Max was also nervous about the new administration's policies on immigration, a concern echoed by a number of ASTI students. Although Max’s issues with the change in government were many, he ended with an acknowledgement: “We’re in California. I don't think he will have a direct impact, not that I can at least predict.” Minh, another ASTI junior, described the results as “expected”. His biggest concerns were about the environment, saying “I don't wanna die when I'm twenty because I inhaled too many toxic fumes, but honestly Biden didn’t do too much. ” According to him, “both administrations have failed” and the consequence of their lackluster environmental response could be widespread. Still, he felt the same indifference, “Important policies that were already hard to pass won't be passed now” he said casually. Minh correctly prophesied the winner of the election, but now predicts that ASTI students won’t notice a significant difference in their day to day lives.