Kiyoshi Sutch-Drescher (Freshman He/Him)

Story by Eleanor Price

For many Americans, election night triggers a nervous fixation: Millions crowd their televisions, eyes glued to the screen, as results pour in. For Grant High School freshman Kiyoshi Sutch-Drescher, however, Nov.5, 2024 wasn’t so different from any other Tuesday. He didn’t follow the national results as they were announced and had a relatively normal night. Similarly, he paid little attention to the local elections, though he noted that his dad was watching them closely.

Sutch-Druscher’s family are long-time Democrats. Growing up in this environment, he says, has given him a left-leaning bias. His mother moved to the United States from England — while she came from a country with a different political system, Sutch-Drescher believes that this didn’t have a strong impact on her political values: “I think a lot of people in England have similar politics to how people have in America.”

As he observed his community’s reactions to the results of the election, Sutch-Drescher saw a lot of disappointment. “Oregon has been a blue state for a pretty long time … a fair amount of people would obviously want the Democratic Party to win,” he says. However, this response was more relaxed than he had anticipated. “You see on the news, it’s always about the election, online it’s always people talking about the election, arguing, so I was kind of surprised that it was as calm as it was,” he says.

However, Sutch-Drescher believes the 2024 election itself was more extreme than those in past years. “Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I think this is definitely the most intense election that I’ve been through in my lifetime,” he says. He found, in an effort to get votes, both the Republican and Democrat nominee’s campaigns were mainly focused on putting down the opposing candidate. “(That) did go into how intense it was, because both of the candidates were like, ‘you should vote me because you don’t want the other person,’” he says. 

He also saw much more political polarization in this cycle, particularly on social media platforms; “You go online and you go onto a president’s closest people arguing … I feel like even in the past, it wasn’t so separated between the Democratic and the Republican parties.”

Sutch-Drescher is curious to see what the outcome of the election will mean for America. “I think a lot of people have a set idea on how (Trump’s second term is) going to go, and that’s not really how it is. Different things happen, and the president has to make choices around this … so I think we’ll see,” he says. “Personally, I’m pretty calm about it. I’m definitely excited to vote in the next election, and  I’m ready to see how things will play out.” 

Sutch-Drescher has always looked forward to having the ability to vote and believes that it’s vital for proper representation. “You’re a part of the community, and you’re a part of the population, you’re a part of America, so you should have that choice … it really matters for it to be a fair and good election,” he says. He notes that this election was especially frustrating for this very reason: “I couldn’t vote, so I didn’t have any say in what was going to happen.”

He acknowledges that the country’s leadership will probably stay conservative for some time, saying, “I think the country, for a while, is going to go more Republican. There’s a really big amount of people wanting Trump to win.” However, he also believes that things can change very quickly. “America is always going to go kind of up and down and up and down. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a moment where it’s gonna just be going down or up for a really long time,” he says.

Elizabeth Sacks (Sophomore She/Her)

Story by Audrey Hurst

An active member of the Grant High School community, sophomore Elizabeth Sacks is involved in both mock trial and tennis. Participating in mock trial has given her the opportunity to discuss politics with peers, helping her gain a deeper understanding of the government. “I try and watch the news with my family a good amount of times,” she says. “It’s been off recently, I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that.”

The reason for the TV being turned off is the 2024 presidential election, and her family’s disappointment with its results. “There’s a lot of sadness and aggravation,” says Sacks. Once the results of the election became apparent, many of her family members found it difficult to tune in to the news. “I am one of the only people in my family that’s still watching the news sometimes, because it’s not the most fun thing to watch.” Despite the frustration of President Donald Trump’s win, Sacks continues to stay up to date with current events by watching and reading sources such as  CNN and The New York Times.

Sacks’ parents were out of town on election day, so she watched the race play out on television at her grandparents’ house. She says, “The TV was turned off by 10 (p.m.) because it wasn’t just the presidential election that was disappointing, it was everything.”

Sacks initially had an optimistic view on the election, anticipating a democratic win: “I was pretty positive going in … I was excited,” she says. “Election night is one of the most stressful nights of the year for a lot of people, (but) I would say I was mostly excited.” As the day played out, however, her optimism faded.

Despite the results, Sacks feels fortunate that most of her family and friends share the same political views as her. “The majority of my family all feel the same way, my friends all feel the same way (about the results of the election),” she says.

Something that stood out to her this cycle was the demographics of voters: “The female vote was very surprising. I think a lot of people expected them to show up and really help out with Kamala Harris.” Sacks believes that her rights, along with those of many other women, may be jeopardized by Trump’s decisions during his second term. “The way that (a second Trump term) would affect me is my rights as a woman. Which is obviously disappointing,” she says. “We’re moving backwards.”

While Sacks acknowledges that Trump’s campaign promises may not have significant implications for her at the moment, as a cisgender person not of a racial minority, she sympathizes greatly for those who will likely be more impacted. “I am so lucky that I do not have to worry about a lot of things,” she says. “There are people that have very difficult situations at home … and might not be able to get the support they need, especially when it comes to just being in a family that maybe doesn’t support you, whether that be because you’re part of the LGBTQ community, or because you’re a woman and you need help.”

Democracy is another matter Sacks has concerns about following Trump’s inauguration. “I do not believe that Trump will destroy democracy, but I think that he’s gonna try, and I think that he’s gonna do certain things that will negatively affect our democracy,” she says. “Trump continues to threaten to challenge news sources … As he continues to threaten the ideas of our constitution and freedom of speech, that challenges a lot of the beliefs that I have.”

Sacks believes that the actions Trump will take following his inauguration will not be made for the majority of the U.S., but instead those who are most privileged in society. “Trump benefited from this election, I think that Elon Musk benefited from this election and I think that the very upper class of society benefited from this election,” she says.

Ultimately,  even with her own speculations, Sacks cannot predict the changes that Trump’s inauguration will trigger. She says, “I definitely don’t appreciate the outcomes of this election, so I’m not sure about my future and how I might be affected. I think the scary part is that you don’t really know.”

Ryah Abouzaki (Senior She/Her) & Nour Almahalawy (Senior She/Her)

Story by Lucy Zimmerman

In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Ryah Abouzaki remembers feeling hopeful. Nour Almahalawy, on the other hand, didn’t feel the same.

On election night, Almahalawy was volunteering at the Providence Medical Center, surrounded by fellow volunteers leaning towards a win for Harris — but Almahalawy wasn’t so certain that Former Vice President Kamala Harris had it secured: It was just too close. Abouzaki, however, remembers her pure shock at the outcome, “that we still managed to somehow vote for a convicted felon and a rapist over a woman.”

For Almahalawy and Abouzaki, President Donald Trump’s reelection threatens their reproductive freedoms. Trump’s campaign promises and alignment with plans such as Project 2025 could mean a restrictive future for reproductive care. Almahalawy has peers planning to get an intrauterine device (IUD), a form of birth control that can last up to a decade. Project 2025 outlines plans that could limit access to birth controls such as condoms or the week-after pill Ella. Obtaining an IUD could serve as a strategy for preventing unintended pregnancies in the face of restricted reproductive health services.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022 revoked the constitutional right to abortion that had stood for nearly five decades. Its reversal has resulted in restrictive abortion laws across multiple states, creating inconsistent access and forcing many to seek reproductive care far from home. With stakes for U.S. reproductive freedom at the highest they’ve been in 50 years, Almahalawy and Abouzaki are concerned over the implications of a second Trump term.

Additionally, Trump’s promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants remains a looming threat for many families, and the fear of separation and the enduring challenges of family reunification under these policies weighs heavily. Almahalawy and Abouzaki have witnessed the complexities of immigration first hand. Almahalway’s parents are both Egyptian immigrants, and Abouzaki’s father and stepmother are Lebanese immigrants. While all their immediate family members are citizens, both recognize that Trump’s presidency will make the process of citizenship more difficult.

While he does not necessarily introduce it, Trump’s presence in the White House also perpetuates racist and xenophobic ideologies across the country. “Coming from a Muslim family, no matter where you are, no matter who is president, (Islamophobia) just comes with,” Almahalawy says. “I think (Trump) just allows for more people to have problems with people of different races … He justifies it, more than (Harris) would.” 

During his first presidency, Trump issued an executive order restricting travel from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — seven predominantly Muslim countries. This list, often called the “Muslim Ban,” would be revised and expanded upon in a series of orders he plans to reintroduce in his second term.

Beyond limiting travel, Trump’s 2016-2020 administration imposed various procedures to restrict the granting of visas and asylum to many, including those coming from Middle Eastern and North African countries. These actions garnered criticism that Trump’s policies perpetuated Islamophobia, heightened anti-Muslim sentiment and strained U.S. relations with Muslim-majority countries.

Almahalawy and Abouzaki noted the division among minority voters. Almahalawy feels this is due to a bias that exists against candidates like Harris. She says, “When the other (candidate) is a woman of color, that really does cause a lot of people in (minority groups), like Hispanic people, Middle Eastern people, to have these biases that a woman couldn’t run for president.”

Within Almahalawy’s family, reactions to the election were mixed. Almahalawy voted for Harris, and while her mother did not vote, she was firmly against Trump. Almahalawy’s father perceived Trump as better for the economy but also recognized his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Generally, however, he didn’t have a significant preference, and did not vote either.

Trump’s second term brings uncertainty to the lives of many Americans. In the words of Abouzaki’s father, “This is going to be a wake-up call for everyone.”

Nora Isles (Junior She/Her)

Story by Mabel Reed

“I woke up the next morning and I was like, ‘Okay this is how it’s going to be for the next four years,’” says Eleanor ‘Nora’ Isles, a junior at Grant High School and an active member of the student body. Isles had initially joined a group of her friends for an election watch party, but as the states began to flip red she decided to return home. 

Isles encapsulates her reaction to the 2024 presidential election in a single word: “shocked.” She is not alone in this feeling, however, and acknowledges that, saying, “Maybe if I lived in another place with more diverse perspectives I wouldn’t have been so shocked,” also saying that “there are so many people in Portland who are so left-leaning.”

One significant concern Isles has regarding President Donald Trump’s policies is his stance on abortion. “I did watch the presidential debate, and in that presidential debate, he was asked the question of if he would sign on to a national abortion ban. And he kind of just deflected on that,” she says. While Isles recognizes that many politicians use this tactic in debates to avoid controversy, she says it was disheartening to watch. “Honestly, it was just kind of what I expected from him.” Isles says.

Online content played a significant role in Isles’ education surrounding the election cycle: “My social media algorithms really influenced what I thought was going to happen,” she says. Both Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris were active on their respective social media platforms throughout the race. Their TikTok handles, @KamalaHQ and @realdonaldtrump, regularly posted to popular audios on the app. 

Isles accredits some of her shocked feelings to her “for you” page, her individualized feed of TikTok’s algorithm. Isles says, “My side of the for you page on TikTok was very concentrated and very liberal, so what I saw did not fully reflect the election because it was catered to what I watched more.” She recognizes the issue in this, and says, “I think I need to take on that perspective in the future and realize that it’s not just what I see, because that’s a specifically catered algorithm.”

The election and influence of social media also sparked Isles’ interest in how candidates portray themselves. Isles describes the photo of Trump raising his fist on July 13th, 2024 after his first assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania rally: “That photo, to be honest, is a pretty cool photo that resembles resilience. I wonder how much that played into his image in the election.”

While Isles admits most of her information comes from social media, and feels that TikTok provided more comprehensive information about political issues and specific policies than her peers at Grant High School, she also recognizes the drawbacks and limitations of using it as a news source. Isles believes that seeing politicians beyond their social media profiles is crucial.

To Isles, social media may serve as an effective starting point for political engagement, especially for younger generations. However, it is the civic responsibility of adults to conduct more research and to participate in local elections. Isles says people should “(engage) in politics at multiple levels — global, federal, state and local.” She also recommends researching political parties and registering to vote.

As a student, Isles encourages participation at the high school level. One opportunity for this she names is the recurrent student town hall hosted by Grant Principal James McGee. Isles says, “It’s a chance to talk to Mr. McGee about the things you want to talk about during flex. And that is a completely amazing opportunity to get more engaged. And not that many people are doing it.”

Isles has previously served as an honorary page at the Oregon House of Representatives, an opportunity in which she observed the day-to-day operations of The Oregon Legislature. Isles assisted legislators and witnessed legislative sessions where small policies were voted on in real-time. This experience helped shape her perspective on policy, but also allowed her to be educated directly in the government of her state, a learning experience which she feels she deeply benefited from. In the aftermath of the 2024 election cycle, Isles often finds herself separating the results from reality: “I think I’m taking a very stepped back view of it. I’m not acting as if it’s going to have any effect on me, which is not the best thing to do … But it’s how I’m thinking of it, because otherwise I go and I look into what’s actually going to happen and I get pretty sad.”

She has come to realize that government is not static — change can be made, but it requires action. Isles is taking every opportunity to get involved in 2025, and calls on others to do the same.

Jean Toussaint (Senior He/Him)

Original quotes in French, translation by David LaPorte. Student’s name has been withheld to protect his identity.

Story by Claire Coffey

For Grant High School senior Jean Toussaint, living in Portland, Oregon, has been filled with a range of shocking experiences: Few people who speak his native language of Kreyòl, neighbors asking him where Haiti is located, cold winter weather and the high school students who choose to wear short sleeve shirts and shorts nevertheless.

On Nov. 6, 2024, yet another surprise was added to Toussaint’s list: the reelection of President Donald Trump. Hearing the news, Toussaint remembers feeling “choc total” — total shock.

Another Trump term could result in millions of immigrants being forcibly deported from the new lives they have created in the U.S. — an issue that would directly impact Toussaint, who immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti in August 2024 to escape the political instability and gang violence tearing through his home country.

After Haiti’s democratically-elected president, Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021, widely unpopular Prime Minister Ariel Henry assumed power. Before he resigned, Henry’s administration routinely delayed elections, sparking widespread civilian protests and eventually violence by armed gangs in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

“You have to do what the gangs want you to do because they control (the region),” says Toussaint. “They rob people, they take your furniture, they take everything in your house … they’ll burn down your house if you don’t give them everything.”

With roughly 200 gangs active in Haiti, half of which control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince, Toussaint says, “They have more power than the police.”

In an effort to help the more than 700,000 people displaced by gang violence in Haiti, former President Joe Biden extended “humanitarian parole” to Haitian citizens in January 2023. Humanitarian parole, typically granted through a lottery system, allows non-citizens to legally enter and reside in the U.S. if they have a financial sponsor, among other criteria.

Toussaint was able to come to Portland to live with his “uncle,” a close family friend and U.S. citizen of nearly 30 years, who had acted as his financial sponsor.

The rest of Toussaint’s family was not as fortunate. When he tried to take his younger brother and sister with him by claiming them as his dependents, they were stopped and separated at the airport over concerns of human trafficking. While Toussaint was singled out by security, other lottery winners were able to take their family friends’ unaccompanied children without being stopped.

After another failed attempt to bring his younger siblings to the U.S., Toussaint’s family remains in Haiti. Describing the country’s economic situation as “dire,” Toussaint says his parents are “busy working all the time so that they can survive.” His younger siblings attend classes when they can, but Toussaint says, “(My) younger siblings’ schools close regularly because of gang violence.” Their school’s principal was also assassinated before he left Haiti.

As the only family member living in the U.S., Toussaint feels immense pressure to make the most of his newfound circumstances. He says he is working hard everyday to improve his English because “it’s (my) hope, it’s (my) mission, to do my best here and earn money to help (my) family.”

To manage the stress of these responsibilities, Toussaint has leaned into the Grant community’s extracurricular activities: He was part of the ensemble in the fall play, Big Love. Prayer, music and the performing arts continue to be a constant grounding force in his life. Toussaint plays the guitar, often writing and singing songs of his own during his free time. “My emotions … are really strong,” says Toussaint, “too big … but it helps when (I) play the guitar.”

Toussaint feels uncertain about his future in Portland as Trump returns to office. He fears that Trump’s animosity towards Haiti could lead to the curtailment or cancellation of the humanitarian programs allowing him to remain in the U.S. Citing Trump’s infamous false accusations directed towards Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, Toussaint believes the president has “never been on the side of the Haitians.”

If the Biden administration’s immigration programs were to be ended, Toussaint may be unable to renew his visa — putting him at risk of deportation under Trump’s mooted immigration plans. Because of this, Toussaint and his mother have already begun looking into similar humanitarian programs in Canada.

Right now, returning home is not an option for Toussaint and the 731,000 other Haitian immigrants living in the U.S. “The violence,” says Toussaint, “is the biggest fear.” It’s what is keeping him away from his family and the country — which he would rather people remember for its delicious cuisine, beautiful scenery and dynamic music — that he loves.