On November 6, 2024, the halls of Judge Memorial felt quieter than usual as the results of the election began to sink in.
The opportunity for this story arose in Ms Estrada’s Dance 2 class, where instead of glossing over what had happened the previous night, we spent the time discussing our feelings about what was to come in the next four years. Despite the overwhelming emotions from the entire class, it was a moment of connection that we all desperately needed, and a reassuring notion that we aren’t alone in whatever happens next.
When asked, almost every student in the class said that the first emotions they felt when they first heard the results were shock and hopelessness.
“These are not the results that I personally wanted, and I know that I’m probably losing a lot and as a teenage girl I just can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen to me? How am I going to move forward?” Says sophomore, Aluel Deng.
Across the board, the thoughts of young women and marginalized groups on the 2024 election results reflect a mixture of concern, activism, and determination. Many girls and women, including those in Dance 2, have expressed anxiety over the potential rollback of abortion access, fearing further restrictions on their bodily autonomy. In addition, marginalized groups, including racial minorities and the lgbtq+ community, have voiced frustration with the slow pace of progress on issues like racial justice, healthcare access, economic inequality, transgender rights, and the safety of lgbtq+ students. Alongside the fear and uncertainty of Trump’s second term in office, students were also upset by the loss of our potential first female president.
“I think I was mostly disappointed to not be able to see a candidate that I see myself in because…This was the first woman, and the first person I feel like I could look up to, so I was a disappointed to see someone like that not succeed because it felt like I wasn’t succeeding or someone like me couldn’t succeed.”
However, there is also a sense of resolve as these communities continue to advocate for change, pushing for policies that address systemic inequalities and ensure greater representation in government. Despite challenges, many have remained motivated to engage in local and national activism to reshape a future that reflects their values of equality and justice, and the Dance 2 girls have definitely remained hopeful.
Sophomore, Morgan Schmutz stated that “(Her) hopes are that we can stay strong and come together and fix our future, and be able to undo the bad things we’ve done and the bad things that will happen for the next four years or more.”
While staying hopeful in a time of uncertainty and worry can feel meaningless, having hope is the most important thing we can do right now. It’s easy to fall into a rhythm of depression and hopelessness, but whether we like it or not, time doesn’t stop for that, and we can’t either.
“It’s important to have hope so that we can actually fix the problem because if we’re just like “Oh well this bad thing happened there’s nothing we can do” then nothing is going to be fixed and we need to fix this to be able to save everyone”
As students there’s an idea that we can do little to nothing involving politics, but that is far from true, and realizing that is more important now than ever before.
“Most of us can’t vote, that’s given. But we can and should get involved in many other ways. Write to local politicians, volunteer for campaigns and organizations, talk to friends and family, stay educated.” says sophomore Alizeé Manriquez.
“Do it for your sister, your mother, your friends and family who’s futures are the ones at risk. Do it for yourself, don’t be a bystander in your own life. We need to be active participants in creating the future we want, because no one else is going to do it for us. And we have to start now.”
