With his promise to “Make America Great Again,” President Donald Trump has created an uneasy, divided nation as he seems to fall short in the eyes of plenty. While his presidential campaign was built on the idea that America will come first and great change is coming, students are facing major stress from the steps our president is taking to get there.
While asking students on campus how they felt about Trump’s presidency thus far, many responded in a negative way. They agreed to feeling stressed and concerned for what their future may hold for them individually, for their families, and for their nation.
“I feel like kids growing up now will be insecure because of the color of their skin,”
said Giselle Amignon, a 18-year-old, biomedical major from Newtown who expressed her concern for those who, like her, come from different backgrounds.
Amignon’s fears are ones that match many students in our area and others, as one of Trump’s major points throughout his campaign was to ‘build a wall,’ a proposition that many feel is singling out specific countries and races our melting-pot country was once accepting of.
“It frustrates me. I’m first generation Mexican-American and it’s frustrating that they’re building this wall. It’s hard when you’re coming from another country that’s not prospering as well and I think people should have that opportunity, regardless of their skin color.”
Trump’s presidency has seen many cabinet changes as people lose their jobs, faced many controversies from his past and from the election, and failed to meet many of the promises he had made in the beginning.
“The question soon becomes who is he doing this for and is it still for the people,” says Robert Borges, a 20-year-old, liberal arts major from Newtown. “That’s the part that stresses me out. It feels like what he is doing is not for our benefit.”
However, while many students are worried more so about how he is running our country, others had a more optimistic outlook on the situation.
Kyle Crossan, a 19-year-old Warminster native pursuing a psychology degree, says “It stresses me out to see his policies and who he appoints for jobs they aren’t qualified for.” Trump’s original cabinet has since been emptied
and refilled with new appointees.
“Trump was a catalyst for things, and he’s going to be the start of change, but not the change he thinks.” Crossan believes some good will come from this presidency many didn’t ask for, such as the women’s marches and the gun control protests. “These are sensitive topics and it’s unfortunate it came to light this way, but at least light is being shed.”
For some students, it has become such an issue that it plays a big role in their daily lives and adds to the stress they already feel due to their own personal world, but worrying about what the future may hold and the uncertainty they feel due to it all is not helping either.
Guidance counseling is available from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be reached on campus, by email ([email protected]), or by phone at 215-968-8189. Feel free to reach out at any point for any concerns.