On Nov. 5, 8.3 million young Americans, including students at Concordia, will participate in a pivotal election. As students expressed a variety of perspectives, their views reflect broader national concerns and divisions. Director of Speech and Debate, Professor Konrad Hack, emphasizes a unifying principle in this context: “We are all created in the image of God.”

Senior Greta Jones, a History and Political Thought major, reflected on the election with a sense of disillusionment, stating, “My personal views are pretty generally reflected by the apathy towards both candidates. We are asked to vote for two different candidates who don't necessarily reflect what most people are interested in. Both of them reflect establishment value.”  

Similarly,  junior Lucy Swan, a former member of the Speech and Debate Team at Concordia, expressed concerns about the polarization of the election, saying, “I think that the election is super polarizing and people care too much about presidential elections.” 

Andrew Reeder, a junior History and Political Thought major, weighs his voting options carefully, saying, “Both [presidential candidates] are not an ideal choice.” Reeder plans to vote for Trump because he feels Harris “has a lot of problems with her policies.” 

Junior Jackson Merrick, another veteran of the Speech and Debate Team at Concordia, agreed with Reeder but added nuance saying he feels Trump is “better for the country.”

Despite the varied views on the election, Jones highlighted the importance of dialogue, saying, “I don’t have a generalized opinion. It depends on the person. I evaluate people on an individual level. Not necessarily just by who I know they vote for. I prefer to have discussions with people who vote differently than me but also people who vote the same. I would like to know their reasoning for doing either.”

Freshman Speech and Debate member Bryanna Farley echoes this statement. “It’s fine. Everyone has different views on things. That’s the whole point of the election… that we can disagree on things,” she noted. 

Freshman Lillie Strahm agrees saying, “I wouldn’t judge a person just because they vote for a party I don’t align with. Just because they vote for a party doesn’t mean they follow all the beliefs of the party. It doesn’t make them a bad person just because we don’t agree on things.”

Hack concurred with this approach, saying, “We all bring with us a certain level of brokenness. None of us have it together. While you may disagree passionately, it does not mean you should invalidate someone else’s humanity.” Hack’s emphasis on recognizing each person’s inherent dignity serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining respect and understanding in political discourse.

As Concordia students prepare for the election, their diverse viewpoints and the emphasis on respectful dialogue reflect the broader importance of engaging with and understanding different perspectives in today’s political environment.

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