On Saturday, Nov. 7, Joe Biden was projected to be the next president of the United States after five days of long awaited results.
Mixed reactions erupted throughout the country. Biden voters took to the streets to celebrate in major cities while Trump voters followed in the president’s footsteps and blamed alleged voter fraud for the loss.
The wait while not knowing who would be the president-elect did not sit well with some students. Christine Zhu, a freshman journalism major.
“I kept refreshing the page to see if he (Biden) would get another state because he needed like one or two more to win the presidency,” Zhu said. “My anxiety levels were so high and then I found out he won and I finally got a sigh of relief.”
Zhu was happier that Trump lost rather than that Biden won.
“A lot of the policies over the past few years I just don’t think were in the direction of the country that I wanted it to take, especially like his policies regarding immigration, LGBT rights, things like that,” Zhu said. “I think now that we have Biden in office is the first step. Now we have to make sure that Biden is a good president and that he does things that we want him to do.”
Hot button issues like these are of primary concern to freshman Lydia Hurley, a journalism major.
“I’m hoping we’ll see more changes in protections of peoples’ rights and support for marginalized groups because that was something that we desperately lacked during Trump’s presidency,” Hurley said. “Many people think his presidency will be a lame duck period but I’m hoping we will see some good policies like a substantive healthcare plan passed and protect women’s rights, among other things.”
Hurley not only feels safer as a woman but also inspired by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. “I think in terms of women’s rights I feel pretty optimistic, but also in general I will feel empowered to have a more progressive candidate in office, especially with a female, person of color VP!”
This sentiment is shared by Simone Volman, a freshman anthropology and government and politics double major. “I think a Biden win is going to allow me to stay on my parent’s health insurance. It’s going to maintain my access to birth control. I won’t have to worry about putting my career on hold to raise a child,” Volman said. “My life will stay relatively the same and that’s the best effect on my future it can have.”
“I think the change will come more from within the people. There’s a sense of relief and comfort I’ve seen people have now. It’s like the country is no longer on edge,” Volman said. “Even if the policies passed don’t do much, that energy will.”