Editor’s note: The web version of this article has been updated with correct information regarding the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
To find out who the student body plans to vote for and what issues stand out most for the next president to address, the University Press made its rounds on the Boca Raton campus Breezeway. Over the course of three days, the UP interviewed 17 random students and alumni, as well as one Student Government representative.
The UP found that seven students favored Vice President Kamala Harris, two students favored former President Donald Trump and six said they were undecided or not voting in the election. Three students did not share.
7 favor Harris
Jacob Rossi, a senior multimedia studies major, plans to vote for Harris.
“There are certain things that I don’t agree with, as far as foreign policy with her, but I think she is much better than the alternative,” he said.
“I think the modern Republican Party, under people like Donald Trump and all the players in the background, are very much trying to move our country away from a Democratic stronghold into a more democratic but authoritarian regime,” said Raymond Adderly, a junior theatre major and the Boca Raton campus student governor.
3 didn’t share
6 undecided/not voting
Christine Manvelyan, a sophomore business management major, isn’t happy with either candidate.
“[This election] just seems really unserious. I feel like everything that’s happening is making us look like a joke,” she said.
A few students stated they would vote for a third party, specifically for Claudia De la Cruz or Robert F. Kennedy, if he were still in the running.
“It was going to be Kennedy but he dropped out. I’m not really sure anymore,” said Allen Corona, a sophomore majoring in health science.
Now, Corona doesn’t know if he will vote and said he needs to rethink the other candidates.
2 favor Trump
David Linares is a junior political science major and a member of both FAU’s Turning Point USA and Students for Life chapters. He plans to vote for Donald Trump because of his success in overturning Roe v. Wade.
“I don’t agree with everything he says, of course,” Linares said. “I don’t agree with everything in the Republican Party, but I do think that he’s closer to what I want for America.”
Ellie Meyer, a senior political science major, is voting for Trump. She believes the economy was better under his term.
“As a college student, it’s hard to keep up with rising prices of gas and groceries,” she said.
The biggest issues students emphasized were abortion rights, affordability, immigration and environmental protection.
Abortion
Some students expressed that women should have bodily autonomy when it comes to abortion, while others believe the federal government should stay out of the issue altogether.
“I feel like women should have their own choice to their own body, and I don’t think we should be putting a stipulation of when we can get an abortion,” said sophomore health science major Amari Grant.
Junior exercise science major Catherine Clancy believes abortion rights should be decided on a state level.
“Being such a big country, I feel like the versatility of differing opinions can really be represented by the different states. And so, if one state’s more pro-choice, then they should be able to exacerbate that, right?” she said, extending that same idea to more pro-life states.
Affordability
Nearly one-third (31%) of Generation Z live at home and 24% of American renters say they can’t afford their rent, according to a November 2023 Qualtrics survey of 1,249 adults over the age of 18.
“Lowering rent is a big thing, you know? Less taxes, lower rent, for me, just because as I go into adulthood, I noticed that that’s a prevalent issue,” said Patrick Franzino, a sports management graduate student.
Adderly, the Boca Raton campus governor, also agrees that affordability is a big issue for Gen Z.
“This shift from high school to university to adult life…I think the issue of affordability in every faction of that… from getting an apartment to leasing or buying a car to going to the grocery store — I think things are so expensive,” he said.
Immigration
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported over 2.4 million migrant “encounters” in 2023. “Encounters” include people who attempted to cross illegally and whom border officials turned away from legally entering the U.S. for a variety of reasons. Another report from the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) reveals that so far in 2024, over 1.5 million migrants have crossed the border illegally – and of that number, about 15,600 had criminal records.
Linares believes the government should think heavily about who they let into the country.
“I think that the first issue that the new president should address, no matter who it is, is just to close the border until we can figure out what’s going on,” he said.
Kailey Digirolaml, a sophomore multimedia journalism major, shares the same sentiment.
“…I feel like [immigration is] a big problem. It could just cause a lot of other issues,” she said.
Environment
A few students brought up issues related to the environment, including climate change, recycling and land preservation.
“[Harris and Trump] didn’t really have much to say about climate change in the debate,” said sophomore biology major Julia Anderson.
Natalia Bonar, a recent FAU graduate, noted that government leaders should start prioritizing land preservation.
“It’s even like a joke or a meme, where someone sees a beautiful mountain and waterfall and they’re like, ‘I want to build a wall right here,’” said Bonar. “…but at this point, I don’t really see it as a joke.”
Clancy believes the next government leaders should introduce more regulations for recycling.
“I feel like it definitely needs to be talked about more and implemented in every community. There should be laws saying, like, oh, every community – how they have trash, they need to have recycling too. Because I feel like that’ll make it easier for people to recycle,” Clancy said.
The UP also conducted a 24-hour Instagram story poll on Sept. 19 asking who students plan to vote for in the election. Harris took the lead with 57% out of 265 votes.
This story is in the UP’s latest print issue, “Historic Election,” which can be found in the distribution boxes around the Boca Raton campus or in the Student Union room 214.
Elisabeth Gaffney is the Editor-at-Large for the University Press. For more information on this article or others, you can reach Elisabeth at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @elisabethgaff.
Megan Bruinsma is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories email her at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @megan_bruinsma or Twitter (X) @MeganBruinsma.
