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Female CHS Students Speak About Electing The First Woman Vice President by: anjali kakarla

AMALIA CHAPPELL- LAKIN, SENIOR

“I think that representation is very, very important in all aspects, especially in such a high office. Regardless of what you feel about Kamala Harris, it's a very historic moment, and I think it's very important. I remember in her acceptance speech she said something along the lines of, ‘I may be the first one in this office but I won't be the last.’ I think that's very inspirational because it gives young girls something to look up to, to be like ‘Oh, I could do that if I wanted to,’ and it provides a lot of opportunity for people to see themselves in such a powerful position.”

DELIA BINETTI, SENIOR

“I was definitely very excited [when Kamala Harris and Joe Biden won]. I think the first thing that I was worried about was the fact that I didn't want to have Trump in office, but just knowing that we would have a woman for vice president was shocking. Being a 17 year old, it's crazy that it took this long to even have a woman in office — she isn’t the president, but she's the vice president and it's already such a big step for women in general — and her being a person of color is even more amazing. Just to think that we finally accomplished these things is amazing and it makes me hopeful for future elections. I think the main thing is that women have not been recognized as being able to make it to the positions that men have, and it's really horrible to say that but it's true. We've always been put down and thought of as less than men and obviously I think that stereotype has stuck around, but it's gotten better. We have women who have jobs, like teaching at schools, who have as high power as men but there's always that little thought that everyone has that women can't do as good as men, which is absurd. That's not true. And I think it gives younger girls the hope that they can accomplish things when they get older, and that they shouldn’t listen to what is being said around them about their gender. “

ZOE SIMMONS, SOPHOMORE

“I think that [Kamala Harris becoming the first vice president] was amazing. I've been anticipating it for a long time. I think that I definitely got my hopes up for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and I was kind of let down for a lot of different reasons. I think that having a woman, especially a woman of color in an executive position in the White House is amazing and a really great first step to having our first female president. I think that she's going to be a good vice president I think that there are definitely some policies of hers that I don't always agree with. But, that's just politics, you can't please everyone all the time, but I do think that just having her in that position is amazing. Especially being such an inspiration for so many young women who really want to get into government.”

JULIA KIRSCHENMANN, JUNIOR

“I feel like electing Kamala is a very big step that America has waited too long to take. Women have, for too long, been scarce in such a male-dominated world. A woman in the second-highest command is an achievement, and an inter-racial woman of color at that. But considering how close this election was, and the current turmoil of our country, it is essential to not support a candidate simply because they are who they are even though this has always been important. During her time as the San Francisco district attorney and the California attorney general, she denied gender-affirming healthcare for a transgender woman, convicted almost 450 people for non-violent marijuana charges, and went against the Supreme Court orders to stop overcrowding California prisons. So while it is important to support her and Joe Biden, criticism, critical-thinking, and researching will be just as important, if not more.”

LUCY CASSELL-KELLEY, SOPHOMORE

“When Hillary Clinton lost I was like, ‘well, that was the time that we would have a woman president.’ Then when Joe Biden was picked as the Democratic candidate I was like, ‘oh, there goes another chance for us to have a woman, or a person of color in office.’ But then he picked Kamala Harris which was awesome because I thought we would have no chance of having a woman in the office; but he picked her. Representation always matters, especially in government, because having only men in the executive branch means there will be only men's opinions and values represented. So I think it's important to have as much representation of as many people as we can. Having around 50% of the population not be represented is a mistake. That's why it's important. It makes me feel like I can do anything. It feels like history is being made, and that's amazing for all the girls out here.”

MARISA ANDONI-SAVAS, FRESHMAN

“I was really excited [when Kamala Harris and Joe Biden won] because she's a woman of color and that position means a lot because all the little girls see her and they think, ‘oh wow she can do that, I can do that.’ It's really inspiring for everyone to see that happen and also be able to change society and the way people think. It's important that [Kamala Harris is vice president] because when people see that, they know that change can happen. It's good to see change, and see that women are able to get to the top like that. They're not just a Senator, they can get there and they can do those things.”

SYLVIE ZAWACKI, FRESHMAN

“[Kamala Harris winning] was exciting. It just makes me feel like anything's possible. It was awesome. I don't know if we've had a female vice president before, but it's just really cool that there's someone of our gender who is on the national field of politics. If she can do that, I could do whatever I want to do. It shows kids my age or even younger that they can do anything they want to do if they are determined, and maybe a little bit lucky.”

ALLISON COWHERD, SENIOR

“I feel very relieved that Kamala Harris is the first women vice president. I never knew that Joe Biden was going to be president a couple weeks ago when we all found out. After it was announced, people honked their cars and celebrated.”