An Anxious Time for America, An Even More Stressful Time for Students
Words by Daniela Cortes
Graphic by Aspasia Celia Tsampas
After the stress and frustration with taking online midterms, the last nerve-racking thing we thought we’d be doing was waiting for Nevada to turn blue. The election season has been tumultuous, to say the least, from the beginning of campaigning to the debates, and now the vote count. COVID-19 is still impacting our everyday lives, especially during the election as fear of exposure has resulted in a surge of mail-in ballots. Due to this increase, the vote count has taken longer than usual. Everyone is anxiously waiting for the results, an outcome that has become increasingly important due to the divisive political sphere in our country. Although former Vice President Joe Biden is currently in the lead, the election will still be a close call, with almost all battleground states close races.
Election day started a period of even more stress among students at the City College of New York (CCNY). While the world has had its eyes unwaveringly glued to the election results map in anticipation of the election outcome, students are preoccupied with work and school. Only some professors canceled classes in the wake of the election, and students still have exams and homework to worry about. Students check the Associated Press election results map before, during, and after class, desperate to receive any news about the future of our country.
Juliana Salvador, an Environmental Earth System Science major and sophomore, notes that “The way the election has impacted my mental health is that I’ve been more worried and anxious. My classes haven’t been affected too much but I would say my motivation to do work has decreased because my focus is more on the election results.”
Understandably, such an important election is so present in our minds despite all of our responsibilities. After all, deciding who is going to be our president for the next four years is crucial amid all the turbulence in our country surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, racial injustice, immigration, and healthcare.
The recent confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court Justice adds extra pressure and stress among students whose lives are impacted by the policies and actions of the Trump Administration.
Suhaima Islam, a Computer Science major and sophomore, expresses that,
It’s been worrisome watching the election results because we have already seen all the damage that Trump has done. He’s done things to hurt so many families. Even with the slightest chance that he wins, you know what to expect for the next four years. It has taken a toll on everyone’s stress levels. The lives of so many people are at stake and it’s something that’s always persisting in the back of our minds. There’s so many issues that have been ignored. Gun control, health care costs, and college tuition. These are all things that affect people in my age group and that stress will persist until someone other than Trump helps us out.
City College students’ worries about exams and homework, especially during the pandemic, is exacerbated by the polarizing political climate. It’s difficult to concentrate and focus on your classes when the results are so close and yet so far. Our futures rest in the hands of the electoral college and vote-counters as we wait attentively for the results of the election.
“The election has impacted my mental health especially with the pandemic going on sitting at home waiting for the results has made me really anxious. It’s hard to focus on my classes and homework, making me little behind on my work,” comments Iqra Jan, an Economics major and sophomore at CCNY.
So far, Joe Biden is ahead with 264 electoral votes while Donald Trump has 214 electoral votes. Needing 270 electoral votes, Joe Biden only needs to secure one more state. Nevada has yet to call but is currently narrowly blue. Other battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia were leaning red up until early morning on Friday, November 6th. Now, those states are leaning blue by very narrow margins. North Carolina and Alaska are still being counted but seem to be leaning towards Donald Trump as well. The close margins of votes in the swing states for Donald Trump and Joe Biden show how divided our country is and how the election results will be a close call.
It will take another couple of days before the remaining swing states call their votes. When Nevada calls it votes and if it is still blue, Joe Biden will be the winner by having exactly 270 electoral votes. However, the narrow margins within Nevada and other swing states’ vote counts show that it’s still possible for Donald Trump to win, even though Joe Biden has been the lead thus far. Either way, the entire country, including City College, is waiting in anticipation to see if Nevada stays blue when it calls its votes, signaling the end of the election.
