Student voices on the night of the 2024 presidential election: how does MC feel?

Wednesday’s election results would cause mixed reactions from the students gathered in Isaac’s Cafe on Election Night, but the collective participation in a watch party of the presidential election offers proof that Maryville College students are as invested in politics as anyone else.

The 2024 fall semester–greatly influenced by the election cycle and political climate of the United States–has fostered political discussions among students on Maryville College’s campus.

While Maryville is a conservative city, nestled in a collection of red counties in East Tennessee, the students enrolled tend to have more liberal leanings, part of what made the results on Wednesday difficult for many students.

As college students, many of us are first-time voters, excited by the prospect of using our voices for the change we want to see. McKenna Marr (‘28) agreed with this sentiment, saying that she “feel[s] privileged to be able to be a first time voter right now.”

Montina Jones (‘26) echoed this, adding that she is proud of those who were able to vote.

“I think what makes me most nervous is that there’s so much at stake for our country,” Jones said. “But I think it was really important for our generation to vote, regardless.”

On election night, Isaac’s Cafe was bustling with students, staff and faculty. The election watch party offered a space to continue the discourse and learn the results in real time with peers.

At a time with such strong emotions, I wanted to know how people were feeling.

The unpredictability of this election is key to understanding a lot of these feelings. People were on the edge of their seats, refreshing Google pages to see live updates on swing states, or trying to count electoral votes.

The voices of the students spoke loud and clear, and many were in agreement. An overwhelming number of students said they were scared and anxious, yet hopeful. Some gave specific reasons for these anxieties, others didn’t want to share about themselves, but gave their predictions for the election.

Here are some of their statements:

Chris Vasquez (‘27): “I’m pretty nervous, but I’m trying not to let it overwhelm me. This is super important to me, and my main concern is immigration policy. With me being the first in my family to vote in this country… It’s a little nerve wracking, but it’s also an honor.”

Meredith Howard (‘25): “I’m feeling really hopeful, actually. This election has had a lot of young voters, and we are ready to put up a fight if we have to–but not in the same way as Jan. 6.”

Raven Schultz (‘27): “I just really don’t want women’s health rights gone. That’s my personal concern.”

Emmet Roden (‘25): “I’m optimistic about the election, and I want Kamala to win. I’m excited but very nervous.”

Maya Rivera (‘28): “I feel nervous, this could determine a lot of people’s futures.”

Rayna Welsch (‘28): “As a hispanic woman in America, I am super nervous.”

Sophia Giotis and Kara Ledbetter (‘28): “We are hoping for Kamala to win and we think the Pennsylvania swing will be a big deciding factor. Our rights are at stake–we are gay women. So we are very nervous.”

Ella Morse (‘27): “I’m feeling discouraged. I know about the red mirage, supposedly. But I still feel a little bit of fear–fear that women’s reproductive rights will continue to diminish.”

The red mirage, also called the blue shift, is the trend seen on election day, when red in-person votes show up earlier across the board, indicating a Republican lead, before many provisional or absentee ballots from Democrats enter the count.

This election does mark a historic time, and what will be a historic four years. Tensions have been high on campus, on social media and in America. The election fatigue hitting students is another factor on their feelings at the watch party. 

LeeLee Turner (‘28): “I just hope after this everyone can just calm down.”

Alyssa Kennedy (‘28): “Regardless, it’s going to be historic for whoever wins”

Many students talked about their short-term worries, while some expressed concerns about what the future holds.

Sarah Bauknight (‘25): “I think that the divisiveness doesn’t stop today or when we get the results. I think it is a part of American culture, and I’m anxious.”

Steven Cope (‘26): “I’m concerned, mostly about the sanctity and defense of our democracy. What was pivotal for me was the fact that one of the candidates has an active disregard for the democratic process. If that pillar falls, then everything we value falls with it.”

In response to this, I brought up the fact that Harris was endorsed by Biden rather than earning the nomination from the Democratic party, offering a counter to this idea of democratic sanctity as the key point in this election. 

In response, Cope acknowledged this point, saying: “The Democratic party’s immediate switch does show some multi-level disingenuity. The fact that they were so easily able to flip makes you question how honest they are and how genuine they are about their motives. But the greater risk here is the defense of the ability to vote itself.”

Some students wished to remain anonymous; to me, the reason for this is clear, and it’s important to acknowledge the prevalent political lean at MC. At the election watch party, conservative students were notably a minority.

“It could go both ways,” said one student. “I’m more Republican than Democrat, and I envision Trump will win this because of the misogyny throughout this country. They’ve never let a female be president before, and I don’t think it will happen now.”

“Go Trump!,” a rare sentiment in the room, was repeated exuberantly a few times by another anonymous student.

Students were not the only ones in attendance, as some staff and faculty members dropped by to engage with the live election results as well.

Political Science Professor Dr. Mark O’Gorman, who hosted the presidential and vice presidential debate watch parties this semester, spoke on how glad he was to see students engaged with the results, but he said that it really was a coin toss.

“It’s wonderful to see the Maryville College folks coming together. I’m excited, the race is so bloody close. What I’m really hoping is that regardless of who the winner is, that we have a peaceful transition of power, which didn’t happen in 2020. I hope we learned from that and everyone moves forward in a good way.”

Dan Klingensmith, professor of history at Maryville College, told it from his perspective, too: “I’m a little nervous. It is basically a coin flip election, so I think the whole country is pretty nervous.”

“Like most people, I’m anxious to see how things turn out,” Ben Stubbs, vice president and dean of students said. “For the most part I’m glad to see students here, engaging with each other, engaging with the process, and hopefully learning something from it.”

The optimistic perspective from older adults, and a reflection on this election as a learning experience is something that I hope Gen Z can look at to find a light at the end of the tunnel. 

“Whatever happens, we will make it through”, said Wes Hope, photographer and videographer for marketing and communications at MC.

I left the election watch party to head back to my dorm in Gibson. It can be a struggle to deal with a large crowd of strangers while a life changing historical event is happening simultaneously. I found that I was not alone in this. A smaller group of Gibson hall residents and friends were gathered in the lounge to watch the election results in a more private space.

Austin McKee (‘26): “[I’m feeling] very nervous. I am a queer man, so this is extremely scary for me. And I’m scared for all my female friends.”

Kendra Young (‘27): “I’m having the election scaries, I think this is a tense election for our generation. I’m scared for the results and also scared for people’s reactions, especially as a woman of color.”

Katie Parnell (‘27): “I’m feeling kind of sad about how our country is reacting. It makes me lose faith a little bit. I hope we are able to accept whatever the result is.”

The results on Wednesday were definitive. A victory for Trump will have widespread implications on the lives of many, and the response on campus was mixed. 

In my Political Sociology class with Dr. Andrew Gunnoe, our discussion immediately following the election was one of strong emotions. One thing Gunnoe said really summarizes my feelings right now: that “a country gets the leader it deserves.”

The people have voted, the public has spoken, and change is sure to come, whether MC students like myself were expecting it or not.