On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in for the second time, becoming the 47th President of the United States. Trump won 49.8% of the popular vote, elected by US citizens over the age of 18, and confirmed by the Electoral College. (Refer to the featured map.) Now, just over a year into his second term, students look back and revisit their opinions.
A lot has changed since Trump’s Inauguration last January, both here in the US and abroad. UHS News conducted an anonymous survey on Instagram, asking students to share how their opinions have evolved. Roughly 10% of the student body responded, and here are their perceptions:
60% of students responded that their candidate of choice in the last election cycle was Kamala Harris. 24% said they favored Trump. 6% said their candidate wasn’t either, and a notable 10% stated they didn’t want to record their opinion.
The vast majority (83%) of students shared that if faced with the same candidates now, their opinion wouldn’t change; a smaller percentage (10%) said it would. 7% did not wish to share.
Next was a question about the government today. 65% of respondents say their general feeling towards the current administration is negative. A relatively small 10% shared a positive feeling towards our current administration. 17% of people feel neutral, and 8% “prefer[ed] not to say.”
The data is clear–the majority of respondents are unhappy with the current administration.
As I worked towards the production of this article, people showed hesitance to share, and I myself was unsure how best to proceed. The environment around political discourse has grown so disjointed, so violent, that it felt daunting, perhaps impossible, to write a political article with neutrality.
So, ignoring impartiality for a moment, here are my thoughts: As a country, we have become too divided. We have been split into tiny fragments, angry factions. Everyone carries anger, anger at someone, something, fueling them, blinding them into hatred, into greed. And those are possibly the most dangerous, destructive powers there are. It is greed that drives countries to war, to hurt instead of help others.
For a moment, I implore you, set aside your bias. Stop letting hatred cloud your thoughts. Come back together, stop hurting, and start helping others. Share your thoughts and listen to the thoughts of others. Remember to coexist.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela.
Salvio Senerchia was born in Santa Rosa and has lived in Mendocino County his whole life. He is a Freshman and in his first year of Journalism. He has a deep care for the world, its imperfections and inequalities. Salvio loves all things soccer, and is interested in law. He is an avid Liverpool F.C. fan and hopes to visit the city and attend a match! He loves learning, especially History, Math, and any and all reading and writing. He enjoys writing about current and past events and conflicts. Salvio loves traveling, exploring the world and learning about the places he visits.