The Wingate Word
October 2024
Ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Wingate Triangle staff
thought it was a good idea to get a feel for what’s on Wingate students’
minds heading into one of the most consequential presidential elections in
American history. Our reporters roamed campus around the lunch hour on
Oct. 30 and asked the following question of several students:
What do you think are the biggest issues facing
the country heading into Tuesday’s election?
BROOKE ALEXANDER
Junior Exercise Science major
Long Island, N.Y.
“I feel like a lot of people aren’t educated about who they’re voting for. A lot of times they’re just seeing like a person or a color or a race and they’re not seeing what they’re about or their political values. They’re just seeing their views and their ads based on TV or text messages … or based on their past history. We’ve been seeing how Donald Trump was locked up so we’re going based off that. Or we’re seeing how the ads about Kamala Harris and her… opening up the border to everybody, so we’re going by propaganda instead of what they’re actually about.”
ETHAN KILBY
Senior Communication major
Loveland, Colo.
“The economy affects everything. It’s a chain reaction to a lot, so I think in any election, no matter which election, the economy is extremely important, and I think this election it’s been more important because of inflation recently. Things are getting so much more expensive. People are struggling a lot more than they were in the past because of inflation.
Because gas prices have gone up, because food prices have gone up. It creates a lot of struggles in many different ways in our nation. I think that’s a huge piece. In terms of the way I’m personally voting, it’s based on a few other things, too, but I think that is the most pressing issue.”
KIRSTEN FERGUSON
Junior Exercise Science major
Mount Pleasant, N.C.
“Economy and prices of everything are the biggest issue. It’s making it harder for people to live. Middle-class people have to be making more money than before.”
DANIELA KOTARA
Sophomore Exercise Science major
Stafford, England
“As a young woman, I feel the rules around abortion should be more lenient. Additionally, it seems inconsistent that an 18-year-old can buy a gun but can’t legally drink. Food quality is also concerning. The way food is processed here isn’t healthy, and the portions are oversized. What counts as one meal here could equal three meals in other countries.”
ALA KHAN
Junior English major
Hiram, Ga.
“For me personally, I think one of the biggest issues America facing the country is inflation. The average American wages cannot compete with how much prices of basic needs are increasing.”
WILLIAM PAPE
Junior Health/Physical Education major
Bel Air, Md.
“Affordable healthcare is one of the biggest issues in today’s society. People today just cannot afford healthcare, so they have high medical costs and bad quality. We need lower costs and to expand coverage.”
JAYLIN BROWN
Senior Sports Management major
Columbia, S.C.
“The biggest issue the country faces is people often make their decisions off opinions. When making big decisions like these, emotions and opinions can cloud peoples judgment. People should be more logical and look into the facts before making a decision on who they vote for.”
FAITH RILEY
Sophomore Biology major
New Castle, Del.
“I think that ahead of next Tuesday’s presidential election there will be a lot of conflict within the country because these are two very polar opposite candidates that are running and Americans feel very strongly about either one of them and as we’ve seen in history such as the January that [Donald] Trump lost, all the Trump supporters stormed the capitol. I feel like something like that happening again is very possible and I feel that there is also a lot of tension in America and it will get worse after the election.”
Wingate Triangle 
