Liz Hyman, Staff Writer   

Who remembers the fateful moment Donald Trump became President? I do. I was fifteen, sitting “crisscross applesauce” on a blanket in my teenage bedroom. It was nearly 2:00 in the morning, and, as I checked the Snapchat coverage of the 2016 election, my stomach suddenly dropped. Donald Trump reached 270 electoral votes, meaning he had won the presidential race. I sat up, horrified, and immediately called my then-partner. I found myself rocking back and forth in a panic, wondering what would happen to people like me, people not like me, everyone? As we all know, the next four years were some of the most disastrous in presidential history — some things we’re still recovering from, some things we haven’t yet solved….  

Fast forward eight years later.  

Today, we’re a little less than two months out from the general election. I’m almost 23, and I have voted for Bernie, Biden, and will soon vote for Kamala Harris. I have to tell you: I’m just as scared now as I was then. I know what you’re thinking: every election cycle, we hear about how “this one is the most dire” or “if you don’t vote, all Hell is going to break loose.” I’m here to tell you that this election is the one. Vice Presidential Nominee Governor Tim Walz said it best last week, “If you’re not into politics, that’s too damn bad because politics is into you.”  

The stakes could not be higher. On one hand, we have a woman of justice and progress. On the other hand, we have a man of chaos and deviance. Not only is Kamala Harris qualified, she is overqualified. She’s been Attorney General of California, a U.S. Senator, and is currently the Vice President. She’s seen it all. Vice President Harris brings life back to politics; she brings a fresh start. We should all be excited to vote for a new era of politics, where the glass ceiling is completely shattered, and where we can finally move on from the drama and chaos of a Trump-Biden fistfight. Kamala Harris has the X factor that can represent America in a more compassionate and progressive light. That’s what my generation wants.  

People always ask: “What is it about Gen Z? Why are they so concerned about social justice? Why do they care so much?” Simply put, this isn’t the 1950’s. It’s 2024. We are trying to move forward because we give a damn. We want you to join us, however you can, and one of the ways you can do that is by supporting Kamala Harris. The future is now, but we have to make it so.   

What is our alternative? A man who treats women like objects? Who makes light of rape and denies his crimes? A racist, a con, a bully who never grew up? No. Not now. Not ever. Not again. As Harris says, “We are not going back,” and on that we can all agree. It is finally time to forget Donald Trump. It is time to go forward. It is time to not only vote for Kamala Harris but to believe in her. Brace yourselves America, we’re movin’ up. In the words of the late Sam Cooke, “a change is gonna come.”