Sun Youth Forum gets young Las Vegans talking about Trump’s presidential victory

By Ric Anderson

Monday, Dec. 5, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Mayra Velarde was too young to vote in the 2016 presidential election, but she was old enough to feel the sting of its polarizing nature.

While participating in the 60th Annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 29, Velarde, a 17-year-old senior at Northwest Career and Technical Academy, described herself as a rare Democrat in a largely pro-Donald Trump environment at school. Velarde trembled as she told students from other high schools about how her relationships broke apart amid backlash to her opposition to Trump.

“My point is how badly my classmates came at me for being a Democrat,” she said before breaking into tears.

Trump’s victory was a key topic at the forum, which drew nearly 1,000 students from across the valley to the Las Vegas Convention Center for a day of discussions about current events.

As with their parents, the students were divided in their feelings about Trump. In anonymous surveys given to dozens of student participants, they were asked:

“Did Donald Trump’s election victory make you feel optimistic about the next four years? Why or why not?”

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"No, because we have elected a man who has defined racism, sexism and homophobia. He knows how to run a business, but he does not know how to run a country." — Junior, Mojave High School

"I’m optimistic because I believe that under his leadership, the economy and small businesses are more likely to succeed." — Senior, Coronado High School

"It’s the most depressed I have ever felt about the United States of America. I lost so much hope in our citizens and in my peers. I felt cheated, since our country chose Hillary Clinton. I felt unsafe in my brown skin; I felt like a target, while at the same time I felt even more protective of my immigrant family than I ever have. I felt like everyone who had ever bullied, harmed or abused had won." — Senior, Desert Oasis High School

"Yes, absolutely. I feel like Donald Trump knows what he’s doing. He is a very successful businessman, and that is going to do well in restoring the real American dream. People who belong in other countries need to go and live that country’s dream. They aren’t American; the American dream is a dream for Americans, not others. I am proud and can’t wait to see Mr. Trump in action." — Junior, Del Sol Academy

"No. It terrifies me that our nation would elect Trump, who is unqualified in every way. The fact that he can do anything in the Republican Congress with support from the Supreme Court scares me, and I fear what he may do with his newfound power."— Senior, Green Valley High School

"Yes, because there will be a conservative Supreme Court. I’m not happy that Trump won; I’m happy Hillary lost."— Senior, Moapa Valley High School

"Not at all. I’m a black Mexican woman. I feel like I make up what Trump doesn’t like. His ideas are radical and oppressive. He’s hot-headed and says the first thing that comes to mind. He doesn’t believe in political correctness and could destroy our foreign relationships. I feel like the next four years could be violent. Racial and hate crimes have spiked. Honestly, I’m just scared."— Senior, Liberty High School

"I may completely resent Trump, having supported Hillary since the primaries, but Trump’s bigotry will change the national dialogue on social issues. In a country where many refuse to acknowledge racism, Trump will help bring ignored issues into the spotlight, forcing many Americans to deal with inconvenient truths. I also find it likely that he’ll create tension that could explode in his face come 2020, potentially allowing progressives to take over to change our country for the better."— Senior, Coronado High School

"Yes. I believe Donald Trump’s conservative values will allow the economy to run its course. With the failures of the Obama administration and the huge amount of debt accumulated in the last eight years, I believe that a change of ideologies in government could benefit the country. I think that lowering taxes would allow for more money in the economic system, and that would stimulate the economy and produce more opportunities."— Senior, Bishop Gorman High School

"I am not completely ecstatic, but I am more optimistic than if Clinton had been elected. I put more stock in Trump’s ability to manage money to get our country to a better place, and I see too many flaws in Clinton’s dishonesty."— Senior, Bonanza High School

"No. I believe he is a weapon of mass destruction." — Junior, Foothill High School