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Name: Iva-Amanda Nelson

Grade: 10

Home: Castries, Saint Lucia

I do plan to watch the inauguration because I enjoy staying up to date on politics in America, especially as President-Elect Joe Biden will be the successor of President Donald Trump.

LPN: What are your thoughts on Kamala Harris becoming the first female, African American and Asian American vice president?

Nelson: Kamala Harris is a beacon of hope for me and all other females who now believe they can attain equality among men. She blazed a path for people of color and opened new opportunities subconsciously for them. She is a powerful, strong-minded woman who, as a lady of color, I often look up to myself. Kamala Harris reminds me that the sky is not the limit, but the galaxy is.

LPN: How do countries around the world see the U.S. under the Trump Administration? How do you think that will change under the Biden Administration?

Nelson: As someone who currently lives in the Caribbean, many people have ridiculed the Trump Administration for poorly dealing with the issues of America. Each country has their own issues, but this administration brought shame to America and its values despite always undermining people of color and the lower socioeconomic classes. His immigration policies were against the American principles and he engendered divisiveness and racism in the country therefore, few people were fond of him and his administration. Their viewpoints would change when the Biden Administration creates a more inclusive environment. The image of the American values tarnished by the Trump Administration would be reborn with the incoming President elect. Most people would have hope that America will rebound and hopefully be socially and economically better than the Trump Administration left it.

LPN: What do you think are the top issues facing President Biden?

Nelson: The prominent issue that President Biden would have to face would be the coronavirus and the acceleration in cases as well as hospital space, apparatus availability, stimulus checks, the new strain that surfaced in the UK and the thousands of Americans who are neglecting these virus protocols. After inauguration, he will be commander in chief of a divided country and so, he must unify the country politically, socioeconomically, racially, and religiously. Trump’s open acceptance of white supremacy and Anti-Semitic groups caused systemic racism and inequality to manifest and was one of the catalysts of the insurrection at the Capitol. This is one of the many problems that President Biden will have to solve. Another issue would be reviving the economy through implementing policies to deal with the effects of the pandemic.

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Name: Cian Murphy

Grade: 11

Home: Falls Church, Va.

I plan to watch the inauguration to see what Joe Biden’s first words as the president of the United States are. It will be interesting to see if he attempts to bring the nation together, after the division of the previous election.

LPN: What are your thoughts on Kamala Harris becoming the first female, African American and Asian American vice president?

Murphy: Kamala Harris being elected is a major step towards having more diversity in our government, and hopefully her being elected inspires more people of color to run for office.

LPN: What do you think are the top issues facing President Biden?

Murphy: I think the top issue for Biden is going to be the COVID pandemic. He will have to oversee the vaccine rollout, and containing the spread of COVID. He will be coming into a already serious situation, and the beginning of his presidency is very likely going to be based off his handling of the pandemic.

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Name: Hillary Larsen

Grade: 11

Home: Rumson, New Jersey

I plan on watching the inauguration because it will be historic since there won’t be a large audience attending, and President Trump won’t be there either.

LPN: What are your thoughts on Kamala Harris becoming the first female, African American and Asian American vice president?

Larsen: It is inspiring to see a woman hold such a high role in the United States government. I think it is important for women across the country, especially women of color, to see a fellow woman in that position because it shows that these roles aren’t reserved for just men as they have been in the past.

LPN: What do you think are the top issues facing President Biden?

Larsen: President Biden will face pressure to unite the country as we are living in a time of such polarization. He also faces pressure to follow through on his promise of distributing 100 million coronavirus vaccines in his first 100 days in office because coronavirus is the top issue in our country right now.

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Name: Brian Brady

Grade: 9

Home: Lake Placid

I plan on watching the presidential inauguration due to the fact of the historic moment of have a female, woman of color, vice president. Also, I would watch the inauguration no matter the president because it is important in our nation’s history. I think it is amazing that the United States of America is having a female, woman of color, as our vice president but sad that this is the first time a woman is vice president. I am inspired that it shows no matter who you are in America you can do whatever you want. I think the top issues facing President Biden are climate change, the political division of America, and gun violence. Also the economy and racial injustice. Finally, I think handling the pandemic will be very hard.

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Name: Ryan Cielo

Grade: 12

Home: Vernon, New Jersey

I intend to watch the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20 because Joe Biden was the lawfully elected president and, even though I do not agree with his policies, I think the right thing to do is to show Biden respect and listen to what he has to say. Another reason why I want to watch the inauguration is because this inauguration is going to be drastically different from ones in the past due to COVID-19. A presidential inauguration is usually followed by huge crowds of people, but if proper social distancing rules take place, Biden’s inauguration will be rather quiet.

LPN: What are your thoughts on Kamala Harris becoming the first female, African American and Asian American vice president? Does she inspire you?

Cielo: Kamala Harris becoming the first female, African American, and Asian American vice president is obviously a huge milestone in this country. Harris worked hard and earned her job as vice president. On the other hand, I am not a fan of Kamala Harris because of her extremely progressive policies; for example, she was one of the first senators to join Bernie Sanders in his Medicare for All bill, she was a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal which would destroy the U.S. economy to solve climate change, her views on immigration and allowing undocumented immigrants into the country who then use U.S. programs funded by taxpayer money, and lastly her promise to the American people to make stricter gun laws continually inflicting on the citizens’ second amendment. Kamala Harris, other than her achievement of being the first female vice president, does not inspire me.

LPN: What do you think are the top issues facing President Biden?

Cielo: The top issues facing both Biden and Harris are definitely the coronavirus and police reform with the Black Lives Matter protest happening just last summer. Both candidates promised to get to work right away once entering the White House. Hopefully they can expedite the vaccine and make it available to citizens quicker so life in the United States can go back to normal because coronavirus cases, depression and suicidal rates are spiking. The American people also expect Biden and Harris to accomplish something with law enforcement whether it’s providing better resources to law enforcement so they can be better trained or “reimagining how we do public safety in America” (Kamala Harris) because that was a big talking point in their campaign.