By Norah Jewett ‘25
At this point, the breaking news of Donald Trump’s reelection as the 47th President of the United States isn’t as fresh as it was a few weeks ago. But that doesn’t mean the shock of having over 77 million Americans elect a convicted felon back into the highest seat of power the American government has to offer. It’s no secret that Trump is infamous for his racist, sexist, homophobia, and other generally bigoted beliefs, using his platform to push for legislation that would limit the rights of such groups. And a hot topic of much conversation is Trump’s position of women’s rights.
Under the Trump administration, Roe v. Wade, the court case giving women the constitutional right to abortions, was overturned, an action many view as a major step back in women’s rights. Trump is often referred to as “a grave threat to women’s reproductive rights,” yet according to The Center for American Women and Politics, 45% of women who voted in the election voted for Trump.
Trump will serve as president as young women continue to enter adulthood under his presidency. That means that people you know may personally be harmed by legislation passed by his administration. That includes the BHS junior and senior girls who will be entering the “real world” under dangerous legislation that may be passed. Many of these young women have their own thoughts about Trump’s election back into office.
The vast majority of BHS girls who gave their opinions expressed negative emotions about the outcome of the election.
Tori Connors (‘25) shares how she finds it “extremely terrifying going into the adult world with a sexual predator in office.”
“I’m disgusted by the outcome of the election. I believe America has many problems, but I didn’t think we were this low as a country,” remarks Brena Connell (‘26). “I cannot fathom that we have elected a convicted felon for a second term. Donald Trump is a racist, transphobic, homophobic, sexist, convicted felon. But God forbid we have a woman in office,” she scoffs.
Cadyn Hollingsworth (‘25) touches on the complexity that inevitably has come with this election. “There’s so much misinformation, exaggeration and bald-faced lying in politics now that it’s hard to feel sure about anything about the future,” she states. “Some days I see things that give me optimism, make me feel like hate is just a loud minority, and that the majority of Americans and legislators really want to work together and improve our country. But other days I see things that quite frankly scare me quite a bit, and loosen that faith I so want to have for the American people.”
“It concerns me to have a president who doesn’t seem to have any real concern for women or helping them. He has a history of not treating women with the respect they deserve and having him as the leader of our country does not set a good example for others,” expresses Delia Gouker (‘26).
Another BHS senior shares that she “kind of saw Trump’s victory in the election coming,” but was still surprised by the wide margin that he had won by. “Even though he’s promised to cut taxes and control crime,” she says, “I can’t help but feel that nothing is going to change because I haven’t seen any real change in the last few presidencies.”
Anna Hollesen (‘26) conveys that she was more disappointed by the results instead of distraught. “It was more a ‘oh not again’ feeling than a ‘OMG we’re screwed and I’m leaving the country,’” she says. “As my mom put it, ‘we got through it before and we’ll get through it again.’”
Outside of the effects on women, Karmel Dolumbal (‘26) talks about her concern about potential changes to the Board of Education. “Like most Americans, scholarships and financial aid are essential for pursuing higher education. I’m a first generation immigrant who lives in a single income household. With Trump’s record of showing prejudice towards minorities in America, It feels uneasy to have him in office again.”
Lillian Judge (‘25) also touches on Trump’s recent cabinet picks. “Many of his picks for cabinet positions and other high level jobs, are people who do not have experience working in such positions. Most of his picks are billionaires, Fox news contributors, personal friends, or all three. While I strongly believe there is a place for the ‘regular joe’ in Washington, these people represent one side of the American experience: the rich, conservative, predominantly white and male side who will agree with and follow Trump’s orders.”
Despite concerns about various points of Trump’s legislation, many girls express their gratitude for living in such a progressive state like Massachusetts.
“I feel grateful to live in Massachusetts where I feel I don’t have to worry about some of this as much but I know it will still have an effect,” says Delia Gouker (‘26). “The state I go to for college is something I have to think about more carefully because he is president.”
Hollesen shares that she “has faith that Massachusetts and the country can make it through these next four years.”
One BHS junior puts it into words well. “I believe that as a white woman who lives a generally pretty privileged life in a blue state, it’s easy to feel unbothered and unaffected because most of the legislation passed will not affect many in Massachusetts,” she expresses. “However, I believe that when considering the new presidency, we have to think about others and the women and people across the nation his legislation will affect. Now is the worst possible time to be selfish and only think about how it would directly affect you. We need to be worried for the American people as a whole throughout the next four years.”
These students hold hope for the next four years and will continue speaking out for the protection of people’s rights. We can only hope that the future of these young women’s rights won’t look grim years from now.
