Trinity Students Speak on Stress, Relief Following Election

Olivia Papp ’23

Features Editor

Following the contentious 2020 election, the Tripod gathered student opinions. 

Alexander Oaks ’23, a current student actively engaged and interested in politics, was eager to share his thoughts. “American voters made a choice about what kind of vision they wanted… and I’m relieved that we made the right decision,” he said, pointing to Biden’s win. “Joe Biden was by no means a perfect candidate, but this election was about bringing decency back to our highest public office.” Like many students at Trinity, Oaks emphasized the importance of police brutality, climate change, the global pandemic, and rising wealth inequity as major factors in the election. 

He also pointed out that activism amongst young people was a crucial aspect of the election. “For me, President-elect Joe Biden’s victory stands not only as a beacon of hope for those who care about equality and justice but it also stands as a reminder of how much work there is still to be done if this country is to move towards a better future,” Oaks commented. 

A familiar feeling on campus following the election was anxiety, as it took days to count the millions of votes cast in the United States due to an influx of COVID-related mail-in ballots. Maddie Recker ’23 agreed and admitted she could not “focus on any work [the week of the election]…. All I wanted to do was watch CNN and see what the results were.” 

Though Biden has declared victory with the support of every major national news channel, Trump has still refused to concede. As a result, anxiety amongst students at Trinity has not been completely squashed. “I was, and still am, stressed about a peaceful transition of power,” added Recker.

Abby Gleason ’23 was anxious during the week, alongside millions of others, as no one knew exactly who the president was going to be until much later in the week. 

“I was more annoyed that it took forever for the results to come back. Usually, it will all be over and done with the night of the election. It added to my stress level because the president of the United States is a big deal. Having such a strange election that is not based on in-person-voting has definitely taken a toll on me this week.”

“This week has been one of the most stressful weeks I’ve ever had,” commented Isabella Bianchini ’23. “I had my computer open and was always checking the tab with the live results… I was streaming the election for days.” Bianchini cited President Trump’s recent lawsuits against multiple states as an indicator of potential political instability in the coming weeks. 

Recker agreed, adding that Trump’s actions between now and Inauguration Day in January could be detrimental. “There is still so much going on between the lawsuits and recounts even though the election is over,” she said. “Needless to say, the election stress is not over.” 

Despite this outcome, Trinity students also expressed their optimism and concern in other ways, such as the recent Election Day issue of the Tripod which commemorated their feelings on this especially contentious moment in American history.