Students talk fears, hopes and concerns for 2020 election

With Election Day comes nationwide bated breath.

In unprecedented times like these — in the midst of a pandemic and social unrest — eligible voters carry the responsibility of the country’s future in their ballot.

With results of the presidential election just days away from being revealed, The Miami Student asked students in Armstrong Student Center — a random cross-section of the Miami populace — about their fears, hopes and concerns surrounding the results of the historic election. Here’s what’s on their minds.

Sean Chen – senior, biomedical engineering

“I am concerned with how some things are going right now. If you look in the news, there’s some decisions being made about how to count votes that I think is a change from what has been happening, and I’m concerned with how that can affect the future of the election.”

Alexis Riske – first-year, mechanical engineering

“I’m not really big into all the politics and everything. [Voting] just wasn't on my mind.”

Riske did not vote in this election cycle and is not registered.

Kendall Armstrong – senior, psychology

“I kind of hope [the election] doesn’t happen like it happened last time. I’m definitely worried that the country is going to be a mess no matter what happens. I’m worried about what the results are going to mean, because I think either way people are going to be very upset.”

Erin Schmitz – first-year, middle school education

“I’m concerned about the handling of the pandemic. I’m concerned that whoever loses isn’t going to accept that they lost. If it’s a transition, it won’t be an easy transition.”

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Dan Sedlacek – second-year graduate student, Institute for the Environment and Sustainability

“I’m concerned about getting a job in my field. The current administration is gutting the EPA, and I’m afraid I’ll graduate into a job market that doesn’t have a place for me.”

Anders Burck – sophomore, Computer Science

“The polarization of America makes me think that regardless of who wins, they’ll be angry parties on both sides willing to fight for it, and that’s something I’m worried about.”

C.J. Walker – senior, business economics

“I think the biggest fear is the division of who wins the election. As of now, I think both candidates are painting themselves as the one who can unite the country, and in all honesty – looking at the sphere of the political universe – for whoever wins there’s going to be one side that’s disunited [sic] and wants to rebel against. So I think that disunity [sic] of whoever’s going to win, there’ll be one side that’s upset.”

Grace Trippiedi – senior, engineering management and mechanical engineering

“I have a hope that these four years of Donald Trump will come to an end. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s going to be as much of a landslide as anyone’s hoping for, but that’s a specific fear of mine, and I’m hoping that we can be more united under Joe Biden.”

Claire Beran – senior, speech pathology and audiology

“As a woman, knowing that there’s a possibility that my reproductive rights could be taken away, that’s very concerning.”

Aaron Davidson-Bey – senior, psychology

“A fear is that people aren’t voting on the issue and they’re voting what’s popular. They’re voting for the hype of it. There’s a lot of fantastical stuff going on right now, and I think, if anything, my concern would be people are more concerned with that, everything being safe, and less concerned with the issues.”

Anna Jacobs – sophomore, kinesiology

“I hope our country doesn’t go downhill.”

Amy Plocharczyk – junior, psychology

“This upcoming election has been emotionally detrimental knowing that Trump has affiliated himself with a pedophile and was also included in Epstein's black book. I fear that if he wins, we will continually have to fight for our civil rights that should not even be in question. This entire year has shown us how ignorant he is to social issues.”

David Gudin – sophomore, geology and environmental science

“I’m terrified. I’m worried I’ll be forced back into the closet, lose my rights, and countless others will face similar and worse fates.”

Quinn Hutchison – junior, marketing

“I guess I’m just really anxious surrounding the results of the election because I know it will create even more division between people no matter who wins, I think it could be a lose-lose situation.”

Emma Muhlenkamp – junior, supply chain & operations management

“I’ve never been that involved with politics, but, like, as a cis[gender] white female, this is the first election where I feel like I will be directly effected by the results of the election.”

Brady Stultz – sophomore, supply chain & operations management

“I just hope that the person we pick is going to do good for us.”

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