It has been almost one month since the U.S. presidential election. The outcome of the election rocked local and global communities. President-elect Donald J. Trump won the election marginally, winning both the popular and electoral college votes while capturing all seven swing states. The initial shockwave of the election results was focused on the presidential candidates themselves, but now the time has come to shift the focus to the people most affected by the outcome: the youth. In a forum created by the New York Times, teens were asked to share their opinions and feelings about the results of the election. Most of the responses were words of fear. The result of the election was not the singular cause of the rising anxiety among teens, it was just brought to light with this singular event. Through interviews for this article, I investigated whether the same emotional patterns seen nationally among teens have held true in the Maggie Walker community on both sides of the political spectrum.

For this article, Sonia Chornodolsky (‘25) and Grace Blakley (‘25) were interviewed. Sonia is a co-president for the Young Democrats club at MLWGS, and Grace is a co-president for the Young Republicans club at MLWGS. Both are a part of the We The People class at MLWGS. The views expressed in this article are the perspectives of two individuals with different political leanings and do not capture the thoughts of the entire student population. 

Chornodolsky and Blakley–good friends–have shared similar views regarding political discourse. They both believe that public discourse and the sharing of opinions and ideas are extremely important to fostering a safe, judgment-free environment. Blakley stated that “discussing [her] political beliefs with others […] moved [her] political position closer to the middle.” Additionally, she stated that having open discourse allowed her to “find common ground with others.” Chornodolsky, on a similar note, stated that the Young Democrats and Young Republicans had corresponded previously on how to “facilitate a better community” for the students at Maggie Walker, which Chornodolsky described as “successful.” In response to a question regarding the narrative of a “battle” between the Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs, Chornodolsky commented that she would like to “debunk that narrative,” saying that the clubs “are not against each other in any way.” Chornodolsky also shared that post-election, the Young Democrats hosted a forum that invited students from all across the political spectrum to share their thoughts and feelings about the recent election results. Blakley believes that “anybody should be able to express their opinions freely without feeling judged or being shamed for their opinions,” which made this forum event perfect. Chornodolsky stated that the discussion, which included people with conservative, liberal, moderate, and extreme beliefs, was a “powerful moment.” The current political community at Maggie Walker, although generally a liberal-leaning one, seems to be one that fosters political engagement and activism from both sides, despite not always being like this.

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, there were walkouts across the country as well as at Maggie Walker. There were high tensions between the two sides of the decision–those being the pro-life and pro-choice sides–with the tensions boiling over to the point where Maggie Walker administration became involved. However, both Chornodolsky and Blakley believe that the political climate at Maggie Walker is much different this go-around, with both feeling as though there is a much better environment for expressing opinions. Blakley stated that she feels “comfortable expressing [her] views at school” and with her friends as they “discuss politics [and] remain open-minded.”  In fact, both Blakley and Chornodolsky are good friends, exemplifying the sentiment of “across-the-aisle friendships,” and sharing the ideal that politics should not interfere with relationships.

In regards to the results of the election, Chornodolsky stated that the “mindset of accepting the defeat, but not necessarily sitting complacently [...] is positive and has permeated Maggie Walker.” She also remarked, “It’s all about creating a community despite differences of opinion.” Blakley also observed that Maggie Walker has progressed in the sense that “people were much more likely to judge …over politics” at Maggie Walker a few years ago than today. She also noted that “fear of disagreeing with others is what inhibits expression, as people don’t want to create violent arguments between themselves and others.” Chornodolsky and Blakley both show the feeling that Maggie Walker is on the right path, and is headed in the right direction politically.

Both Chornodolsky and Blakley made clear that there are fewer divisions in the Maggie Walker nation than we may think. If we just give “the other side” a chance, maybe we can start our country on the path to unity once more. 

Information retrieved from the New York Times.