As the presidential election approaches, the atmosphere at Peninsula High School mirrors the political uncertainty seen across the country.
Key Peninsula News interviewed students grappling with their place in the unfolding political drama, with many unsure about the future.
Many students did not want to talk about politics at all. One senior, who requested anonymity, said, “I can’t even vote this year, and I’m scared of either outcome.” Several other students shared that concern, often expressing discomfort or indifference to politics in general.
However, some students were eager to contend with the political situation.
Junior Justin Dennis, an avid surfer and snowboarder, has lived in the Gig Harbor area his entire life. When asked why people are hesitant to discuss politics, he said, “I think there’s so much scrutiny between people, and they’re worried about getting ganged up on or being wrong for having an opinion on an issue when it’s OK to have either opinion.”
He is disappointed that the presidential candidates don’t spend more time on mental and physical health, which is important to him and many other kids. “Maybe a way the government can help that, and this is weird because it’s not democratic, but managing companies that are purposely doing things to captivate teens, like drug companies, social media, or selling (unhealthy) food.”
Dennis cited high prices as his main reason for preferring Trump, although he can’t yet vote. “I feel that now it’s so hard to buy things, everything’s so expensive.” He questioned why Harris wasn’t able to do anything about rising prices during her years as vice president.
Breyona Meadows, also a junior, has lived in Gig Harbor since she was 3 years old. She said she is biracial and counts quality of life as her most important issue this year.
“Yeah, the quality of life for anyone who isn’t a millionaire, which is what someone like Trump is more focused on, while Kamala is more focused on the majority of people.” For this reason, she prefers Harris. Meadows also emphasized the importance of reproductive rights to her, saying that individuals not directly affected by a decision should not make others’ choices for them.
With family roots in both England and Washington, junior Ben Caseley said he is optimistic despite the political tension.
“At least given the vice presidential debate and some of the other things I’ve seen, the candidates seem to be behaving more civilly,” he said. However, Caseley also connected the candidates’ hostility to people’s reluctance to discuss politics. “It’s often in the attacks that you see, even between candidates themselves, it’s about the other person’s character, their intelligence or their worth.”
He agreed with other students that mental and physical health are important to him but are not talked about enough by politicians.
“Surveys in homeroom don’t do anything. ... It’s about building a culture of being OK and being able to deal with things, which is a lot harder than just throwing money at a problem.”
Caseley said he prefers Harris, primarily because Trump’s refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election crossed a line. “For the country and for democracy, I think we just need to get away from Trump. He has caused a lot of the divisiveness we see these days.”
The divisive behavior of candidates is also a significant concern for Savannah Basset, a junior who has lived on the KP for 13 years. She said people who might not know much about politics are influenced by candidates’ behavior.
Stagnant wages are an important issue for her, and she prefers Harris. “She seems like she’s very devoted to actually doing something about making our country better.”
Abortion is also a prime concern for her. “Everyone should have the availability to get an abortion, especially if you did not choose to (get pregnant). It’s a woman’s body.”
Philip Kim, also a junior, is a second-generation Korean American and soccer player. His family owns a business, and he said this guides some of his views on policy. He can’t vote this year either, but agreed with his family preferring Trump for economic reasons. “I would say when Trump was in office, the economy was pretty good. It was, statistically; you could check.”
Junior Alexa Apostol is newer to Gig Harbor. She has lived in the area since 2022 and said her background is “Filipino, Japanese, and then British and French and such.” When asked who she prefers in this election, Apostol said, “I haven’t been keeping up with it, but from what I know, I would lean more towards the left, just purely because I’ve heard more policy talk from the left.” She said she hasn’t heard as many plans for the economy from the right, although she typically considers herself “more independent.”
Kyle Kendall, a civics and U.S. history teacher at PHS for 10 years, offered another perspective. He said students broadly fit into two categories when it comes to politics.
“I think some students are very informed, and then some are just getting their news from social media, and I think this is true for most Americans,” he said. “They’re either really involved and feel like they’ve got a good sense of what’s going on, or they’re pretty backseat, maybe cynical, or feel like they just don’t have time or don’t care.”
When asked why people are uncomfortable talking about politics, Kendall said, “People have made things so black and white, us versus them, that if you take a position on something, even if it’s thoughtful and nuanced, the worry is, ‘Oh, but then I’m going to be perceived as this thing,’ in a negative light.” He also attributed political tension to the multi-party nature of the district, unlike other areas where political beliefs are more homogeneous.
Together, students at Peninsula indicated that many younger people in the community are unhappy with the division and hostility of the modern political climate. While there is disagreement on candidates and ideologies, many agreed on fundamental principles: lower cost of living, more peace, more prosperity, and a healthier population.
Students disagreed on the best way to achieve these things but acknowledged it will be up to their generation to guide the country out of the place it is in today. The willingness of students to engage in politics at any level in a divided district showed that it is possible.
Jonas Koller is a junior at Peninsula High School.
UNDERWRITTEN BY THE FUND FOR NONPROFIT NEWS (NEWSMATCH) AT THE MIAMI FOUNDATION, THE ANGEL GUILD, ADVERTISERS, DONORS AND PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT LOCAL NEWS