Politics has been a very active part of students’ lives for many, many years. It has influenced so many people in both positive and negative ways; for some politics makes them really patient and open minded, while for others it can make them very self centered and closed minded. Donald Trump is a good example of a man whose life has been molded by politics. Saying he’s a good president however is very subjective depending on one’s political viewpoint. But it seems like most people in the late Gen Z to Gen Alpha era are the most frustrated at Trump’s policies and decisions. Some people hate Trump because of how he handles ICE or because of the Tariffs on other countries, or maybe it’s because of the promises he may have made but never followed up on. It depends on their perspective and reasoning. Two people who are good examples of this frustration with Trump and have also been molded by his worldview are Clayton Campbell and Alanna Stowers.
Clayton Campbell is a junior at AHS who is opposed to Trump’s policies and ideologies. He has been looking into local politics and the political side of the United States for a little while now. Because of his Filipino background it helped him relate to others and deepen his relationship with politics. He was dealt first-hand what it was like for people of color out there because of said Filipino background and because of Trump’s policies.
“I don’t align myself with the president Trump, as my values do not correlate with his,” Campbell said. “‘Cause I’m a Filipino student I understand what it feels like to be a person of color and I have seen what happens so if you want to see it, what politics are right now you kinda have to choose one or another. So I chose my people and human rights.”
His Filipino background isn’t the only thing that made him get more into politics. It was the fact he was growing up and starting to better understand the world around him.
“The older I got, the more you see the problems in the world and then you see how politics can affect people and do affect people. It’s important to know what’s going on [in politics] to support and have your own view on it.”
He has a strong foundation when it comes to his political views and because of those views it shaped him into becoming more open minded, empathetic, and good hearted. However he isn’t the only one that has strong opinions when it comes to politics.
Alanna Stowers is a sophomore at AHS who also doesn’t support Trump in the slightest and is very stuck on her morals.
“My dad was a huge Trumpy [Trump fan] and then ever since I stopped living with him I realized a lot of stuff he told me was not right whatsoever,” Stowers said.
“I believe in equality and what’s best for everyone so if someone is being harmed then why are you doing it?” She had no further comments.
Trump’s policies have affected these students in more ways than one. Although they say it has affected them negatively, they have also mentioned positive ways it’s affected them. By paying attention to his speeches, looking into other stories outside of Trump like Palestine for Alanna Stowers or Anderson for Clayton Campbell. They’ve become more understanding of the world around them and gained perspective for those similar in their shoes. So although Trump may have affected them negatively, there’s no doubt it helped them to be the people they are today.
