Election Day in the United States is approaching, and at Mercersburg Academy, students reveal a range of levels of engagement anticipation for the first Thursday after the first Monday in November - election day. The results from early primary elections around the country all but promise another Biden-Trump showdown.
Underclassmen expressed a mix of uncertainty, intrigue, and apprehension. “I’m feeling nervous,” Annie Mohr ‘26 said. “I don't think Trump's gonna win, but if he does, I think I'd be very stressed and concerned.” Harry Cameron ‘26 said, “I’m interested to see the result of the upcoming U.S. election. I believe that independent candidates are slowly gaining popularity in the country, and am intrigued by how they will affect the two major parties.”
Shublean Kaur ‘27 expressed, “I’m not too aware of a lot of what goes on in American politics, especially in the upcoming election. It's kind of hard because I'm always around biased people a lot.” William Luo ‘27 added, “As a non-citizen of the US, I rarely feel about the election: however, as any person would hope, I do want our new president to bring policies that would benefit society and improve our daily livelihood.”
Among the upperclassmen, there was a widespread feeling of anxiety concerning the contest. “I mean, it’s quite obvious that it’s an abysmal situation,” said Gabe McGuire ‘24. Likewise, Oliva Glick ‘25 commented, “I am very nervous. I definitely don’t know what’s going to happen or if everything is going to be okay afterward.” Additionally, many students felt that there could be no possible positive outcome from the election. The 2020 presidential election proved to be a polarizing event in American history, revealing the nation’s very clear divide down the middle.
In preparation for the November election, Mercersburg Academy is planning to foster opportunities for students to prepare and educate themselves. Mercersburg Academy’s mission statement states, “Our students commit to a life of learning, seek to understand the spiritual nature of human existence, and develop a determination to lead and serve the world.” These principles must extend into this election.
Students who commented reccomended that the Academy educate and respect students’ views on the upcoming election. “I would say that disseminating information about it and making sure that people are aware of everything is how Mercersburg should prepare for the election,” said Glick. “I think a lot of people don't know about what's going on,” Kaur added. “I personally don't know a lot of what's going on, so I think having a brown bag lunch educating people on it would be helpful.” Luo said, “The Academy should remain neutral to whatever the results are, and embrace every student's opinion on the election.”
As Election Day draws near, students expressed their desire that the Academy provide resources for them to make educated decisions and figure out what issues matter most to them. A safe environment on campus for students to have informed and engaging discourse will undoubtedly be Mercersburg Academy’s top priority as November 5 approaches.