Processing the Presidency: GFU Students’ Take on Election 2024
Reported by Audrey Grice
Illustrated by Mia Baukol
On Nov. 5, Americans turned out to vote in a pivotal election that ultimately declared Donald Trump the 47th President of the United States. At George Fox University (GFU) in Newberg, Oregon, students felt varying emotions as the news spread across campus.
“There’s a little bit of anxiety surrounding the election results,” said S.L., a GFU student who requested to be identified by initials. “I just worry about how divided the country is, especially under Trump. I don’t think whoever won would’ve made a difference in terms of division.”
Many students stayed up late Tuesday night to watch the results unfold. Abi Easterling, a freshman, said, “I was surprised and a little bit confused on how [Kamala Harris] lost so dramatically. I was in shock.”
Others reacted with a mix of expectation and disbelief. “I found out the morning of,” S.L. said. “Part of me saw it coming, but the other part of me was in disbelief.”
Some students admitted they felt indifferent toward the outcome. “I didn’t really want anyone to win,” said E.G., another GFU student.
E.O., a fellow student, expressed frustration with both parties. “Biden [and Harris’] whole thing is making promises, and Trump’s whole thing is dividing the country. So I was for neither,” E.O. said.
For some, the results hit harder. Whittie Davis, a senior, shared her emotional response: “I initially felt sad. I’m going to keep being sad… because I need to process this.” Her sadness soon shifted to what she described as “righteous anger,” which she hopes to channel into productive action and building community.
“I need to find where my community is,” Davis said. “I don’t think traditional resources are going to serve me in the coming four years.”
Despite the mixed reactions, a shared hope for civility and understanding emerged among students. “I just want us to be civil with each other,” S.L. said. “People are more than their political opinions. Even if values are held very strongly, I don’t think that should make you villainize an entire group.”
Easterling echoed this sentiment. “I grew up in a household where one parent voted left and one parent voted right, and it didn’t stop them from loving each other. It taught me a lot about how to love people who think differently than I do.”
As students process the election’s implications, many expressed a desire to foster dialogue and unity.
“Hopefully not a lot will change [on campus],” S.L. said. “Hopefully we can… show that it’s possible to have conversations and truly listen to one another. That’s what I hope the student body is able to rise up and do.”
With uncertainty surrounding the nation’s next four years, GFU students seem committed to preserving civility and community amid broader political tensions.