![President Todd Pfannestiel poses with Jeremy Thurston chairperson Board of Trustees [left] and former chairperson Robert Brvenik [right] after accepting the university's institutional charter.](https://uticatangerine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/unnamed.jpeg)
Tangerine staff members hosted a small results viewing party on Tuesday, Nov. 5 to report on live student reaction during election night. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, students in CMM 261-Media Writing gathered student reaction around campus.
“I do feel good about this outcome actually. I was not surprised at all. It was expected,” sophomore Logan Frederick.
“I feel like the outcome was good because I grew up Republican. My beliefs relate more to Trump’s side,” sophomore Joscelyn Wabbick.
“I’m pretty curious on how people can morally vote for him knowing who he is. He is like a racist, a pedophile, a rapist, a sexist. I just do not get that at all,” freshman Kimoralee Simmons said.
“I think that three of the main factors of Trump’s winning was Kamala coming in late into the election as a candidate, her tie to Biden, and Trump’s base of supporters he has built over the last 10 years,” sophomore Jenna Gustin said. “Kamala Harris only ran for four months before the election, so it did not give her the best advantage. With her being the vice-president under President Biden, she was always going to be tied to him, his decisions and the administration. Lastly, Donald Trump has made a very stable base of supporters that have backed him over his past two campaigns prior which only has gotten built upon.”
“I think there were several key issues that shaped the outcome, depending on the specific candidates and election cycle in question,” senior Kyle Mitchell said. “Generally, I’d argue that the economy and issues of national security tend to play a pivotal role in determining a winner. If we’re talking about a more recent election, economic factors like inflation, job growth, and wage disparities were central issues. For example, if voters felt that their financial situation was stagnant or worsening, it likely influenced their vote. Another major factor in the election was the role of social issues, especially related to abortion, healthcare, and civil rights. In particular, the post-Dobbs decision environment in 2022 and its impact on the 2024 race seemed to amplify turnout among certain voter groups, particularly younger voters and women. These social issues seem to be galvanizing voters in ways that economic issues alone might not.”
“I was so thankful for him winning. I love Trump and his personality and great policies,” junior Ben Freeman said. “ I want to feel safe in my own country, and letting in millions of illegal immigrants that refuse to go through proper migration is wrong and an abomination to the U.S. citizens. I feel Kamala Harris would of let this continue happening and there would be even a bigger crisis than the past four years. Without Trump winning, our country could of lost it all.”
