The 2020 election was nerve racking, to say the least. It’s not every year that the country has to wait three days after voting to know the results. But on Nov. 7, 2020, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were declared the President and Vice President of the United States. For many people this victory was a huge relief, while for others it was a major disappointment.

SHS senior and Democrat, Maleya Cruz shared her excitement on the election results, exclaiming that this is a historical election that will set standards for generations to come. 

“I am very happy right now that Biden won and that Harris is the first female black VP,” Cruz said. “I feel like things will finally feel normal like when [Barack] Obama was president.”  

Cruz was not alone in her excitement. Many other SHS students feel optimistic about Biden and his plans for the future of our country, specifically, in relation to topics such as racial justice, environmental conservation and COVID-19.  

“I think Biden and Kamala Harris will take larger safety precautions for COVID and they’ll enforce masks much more that Trump did,” SHS freshman, Juliet Dowling-Coll said. “I also believe that Biden will help fight against racial injustice and will continue to support the LGBTQ community.” 

However, while Biden’s stance on social issues is more progressive than that of his opponent, Donald Trump, Dowling-Coll exclaims that he is not ideal because of his moderate approach and hopes to see greater action from him in the future. 

 Senior Grace Farley, a strong supporter of environmental justice, personal vegan, and advocate for sustainable living shared her thoughts on Biden’s environmental plans. She exclaims that she hopes he will take initiative and invest in our future. 

“I think Biden’s environmental policies are right on track,” said Farley. “With his clean energy plan, I think he plans to push the US towards zero net carbon emissions by 2050.  

“He also plans to invest in conservation efforts and sustainability progress which is much more than Trump can say.” 

On the other hand, not everyone felt that the results were valid. Senior Braden Chapnick, member of the SHS Young Conservatives, voiced his concern for the fairness of the election.  

“Even though many of the media outlets have projected a clear winner and some go on to say ‘president elect,’ there are many stones that are still unturned,” Chapnick said. “Just like what happened with Bush vs. Gore, almost all media outlets were saying that Gore won the election, but voter irregularities like the ‘hanging chads’ changed the winner to Bush.” 

Chapnick, who has an interest in politics, goes on to say that regardless of who you support, it is important to make sure that the election process is fair. Even though he believes that at the end of the day Biden will likely be the winner, he stresses that Trump still has the right to recount the ballots and examine voter fraud.   

Other conservatives at SHS, such as sophomores Evan Bell and Eric Divley, state that they are uneasy about Biden as the new president in terms of his economic plans. Divley also goes on to criticize the hypocrisy of VP Kamala Harris’ current stance in regards to her previous actions as District Attorney of San Francisco and as a prosecutor.  

“It’s sad all the things Kamala Harris has done to contradict herself,” said Divley. “She is tough on crime, [as District Attorney] and she put many black men in jail for marijuana related charges, in addition to putting a transgender woman in a men’s jail. 

“For her to say she supports BLM [Black Lives Matter] while previously hiding evidence that could get a black man that was falsely accused off death row is just wrong.”  

Divley is referring to the case of Kevin Cooper, a death row inmate in San Quentin who spent 35 years in prison, claiming his innocence. When Cooper and his legal team asked the state to approve DNA testing to prove he is innocent, Harris’ team never took up the case. The evidence from the crime scene was never re-examined during her role as DA. 

On another note, Evan Bell, who supports a more laissez faire approach to economics, shared his thoughts on how he believes Biden’s tax plans will discourage consumer spending and, in turn, hurt the economy. 

“I think Joe Biden will be a mediocre president,” Bell said. “Taxes will go up and as a result the economy will suffer.”    

Political affiliation aside, SHS students agree that President Biden and VP Kamala Harris  have a long road ahead. From dealing with the pandemic, to tackling climate change and fighting for racial justice, hopefully the U.S. executive branch is ready for the challenges to come.