In talking about the 2020 presidential election among my peers, I noticed that many of us faced a sense of urgency, danger, uncertainty, and panic. 

This year, the pandemic has already put a serious amount of stress on the lives of everyone, but especially students, with the switch to virtual learning. Students have to face changes to a life that is already changing so rapidly. The stress that the election put on students should not be taken lightly.

Due to the extensive media coverage and constant presence of the election on all platforms, including social media, students were constantly surrounded by the political tension and divide this election created.

Personally, I was so invested in the election that I was not able to properly focus in class. Every so often, the topic would be brought up during virtual classes and a million thoughts would run in my mind. I was wary to bring up the topic because of the debates that could start as a result of differences in political opinion, but I felt as though I needed to talk to people my age about how it affected us. I spoke with some friends and peers about the election, and Meeran Khan, the president of the POC Alliance Club at Flint Hill, organized a meeting for everyone to express how they felt about the situation. That meeting was really eye-opening and heartwarming, as I learned that all of us were under the same stress. 

Meeran, a senior, stated his perspective on the election, and how the stress of it affected his schoolwork. He said, “The whole election felt like a heavy weight to carry on your shoulders and made it harder to get any work done. I organized a meeting for my club, POC alliance, to talk about the elections, and it was nice to see I wasn’t the only one constantly checking the maps and charts.” 

This year’s election affected students the most because many of our rights and futures were on the line. Regardless of political party, all students felt the pressure and tension of this year’s election. The stress was so high that it affected us in all aspects of our life, and especially in getting our work done for school.