As many prepare to vote for the first time in the general election on Tuesday, Penn students reflect on the long-term significance this election is likely to have on both personal and national scales.
Despite the exceptional unpopularity of both candidates, some students said that they feel lucky to be a part of this election.
“It’s kind of crazy that this is the first election that my peers and I are experiencing,” College sophomore Michaela Palmer said. “It is one that I will feel lucky to have participated in, and I do think that I will feel more of a responsibility to be more politically involved and to vote in the future because I don’t want there to be a candidate like Donald Trump running again.”
Other students share the sense of responsibility that comes with having the right to vote but feel less inclined to be politically active in the future after witnessing this campaign.
“In the past I’ve seen a lot of people get really excited about elections and it brings out their patriotism, and I was really excited to be a part of that,” College freshman Madeline Fagen said. However, she said that this election is “a completely different story.”
“It makes me less inclined to be a part of everything because it feels like there is such a clear path of what we should be doing,” she said. “I don’t feel like I need to constantly portray my political views because it’s not going to do anything.”
From the campaigners on Locust Walk to the high number of celebrity speakers stopping at Penn on their campaign trails, the prevalence of political activity might seem to have room for everyone. Not all Penn students, however, feel this campaign season has a place for their opinion.
A Republican from Kentucky, College freshman Anne Wetzel said she does not always feel comfortable discussing her political views at Penn.
“If you don’t vote for Hillary, then you should just not talk about it,” she said.
Wetzel sees her role in political involvement manifesting itself more in her exercising of her right to vote, rather than campaigning on campus for a certain candidate.
“Anyone who votes is playing a role,” she said. “You’re ultimately going to decide who wins. Even if you’re just one person, even if you’re just one vote, you’re still doing your part as a citizen.”
Regardless of political views, however, most students agree that this election will leave a lasting impact on the country.
"This election will change the course of America forever — this one’s one for the books," College junior Mikey Miller said.
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