The 2018 Midterms. One of the most highly anticipated elections in the history of the United States. As the Trump Administration is on the brink of entering the second half of its term, the people have spoken: Congress itself is split in half, Democrats gain control of the House and Republicans maintain control of the Senate.

Voter turnout was far and wide among the fifty states as Americans checked the ballot that decided the future of our country. Young and old, liberal and conservative, citizens voted to change their states’ legislation. Advertisements and commercials everywhere were urging the people to vote for what they deem is the right choice. Now that the elections have concluded, the RHS World Politics Reporters asked Rodriguez students for their input on the results.

Sydney Adams, a sophomore in the school, stated that she’s really happy “there are more women represented in politics” and that the “Democratic Party finally has a balance in Congress.” She goes on to mention that she believes that women were pushed out of politics for a very long time and that the Republicans were dominating for too long. She does not share many of the same beliefs with that party and feels that they don’t take consideration in women decisions and excludes them indefinitely. Although she is pleased that the Democrats have more seats in Congress, she states there may not be too many prominent changes and no action being taken. She feels that “not much will be impacted by it”, and states it with a shrug to emphasize her discontent.

A male junior that wanted to remain anonymous revealed that he believes there will not be a pleasant future regarding the Trump Administration. He claims that since Democrats are in power, this makes Trump’s “position in office a little bit… unstable.” The male student stated that though he is more aligned with Democratic views, he does not feel that they will be able to do much as they only have half of Congress.

The last student, a junior named Jun Huang, said that many who voted in the election were “very uninformed” and that she heard a lot of adults didn’t know what certain propositions such as “Prop 10” were. She believes that people are “not educated” and said that their choices may not be what is beneficial for California. More specifically, she states that “elections are no longer what’s best for the country” and it is more about what the majority party wants with no compromise in sight. Jun also targets the government as unhelpful in the situation, stating that they will face a lot of questions and protests from people if they do not compromise in future affairs concerning elections.

Though the students we interviewed are not yet eligible to vote, their passion and various opinions exemplify the emotions among those who can vote. Knowing that we have students at this school and around the country who have a burning fervor for politics is a great sign for our future. The young generation wants their voices to be heard. They want to make change happen. Although the election results may have been pleasant or unpleasant depending on voters’ opinions, it has definitely shown the nation where our government lies and what needs to be done for reform.