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Millennials Worried About America’s Future, Harvard Says

© Kathleen Struck
© Kathleen Struck
Young American adults have a bleak view of the election and the future of politics in the United States.

And international students feel much the same way.

Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP) released a poll of 2,150 citizens of the United States who are 18- to 29-years-old. The biggest finding was that young Americans are 51 percent more fearful about the future of the country.

What is the source of this fear?

“Lack of faith in Washington to solve challenges of financial, personal, and national security,” the poll stated.

International students in the United States say they feel the anxiety.

“I think this election is really good for highlighting how, in a lot of ways, how pessimistic, disenfranchised, or disenchanted a lot of the American people are with the political system,” said Alaura Hulewicz, from the University of Alberta in Canada, after the final debate between candidates for U.S. president, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

That sentiment about America has grown beyond U.S. borders.

Jana Goyvaerts, from KA Keerbergen in Belgium, told Student Union after the second presidential debate that “especially for me a foreigner, it was weird for me to watch it [the debate] and think of it that this was the actual presidential debate leading up to the election of the President of the United States, which is one of the most important people of the world . . . and it’s crazy that Trump is a real candidate.”

Clara Nogueira, a student of Faculdade de Direito da UFBA in Brazil who is currently studying in the U.S., said she felt "horrified," when Trump said he would not accept the outcome of the election.

"He doesn't trust democratic institutions," Nogueira said.

Newly naturalized English and Ugandan-American citizen Amanda Lugg is a first-time voter, and she told Voice of America her feelings about the election, comparing it to the Brexit earlier this year.

“The disparity in this country between the haves and the have-nots has just grown wider and wider, and with that breeds, breeds so much animosity and fear and results in something like we’re seeing in, in the U.K. right now.”

There appears to be a silver lining, however, to the negativity and worry about what this election means for the nation.

“What we’ve seen among the most fearful of Americans, we see that by a margin of 2-1, they are more likely to vote in a general election, more likely to vote in a primary, and more likely to follow the news,” said John Della Volpe, polling director of the Harvard Institute of Politics.

Volpe said that Millennials “want to be united” and are willing to do their part if they are inspired and engaged.

International students saw some silver linings, too. Watch the video below to find out where they think America is going. And let us know what you think, too!

Please leave a comment and visit us on our Facebook page, thanks!

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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley

FILE - Students walk past Sather Gate on the University of California at Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., May 10, 2018.
FILE - Students walk past Sather Gate on the University of California at Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., May 10, 2018.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

STEM, business top subjects for international students

FILE - The Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus on Sept. 12, 2024.
FILE - The Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus on Sept. 12, 2024.

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges

FILE - A person walks near buildings, Dec. 17, 2024, on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
FILE - A person walks near buildings, Dec. 17, 2024, on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)

Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools

FILE - Students cross the campus of Dartmouth College, March 5, 2024, in Hanover, NH.
FILE - Students cross the campus of Dartmouth College, March 5, 2024, in Hanover, NH.

US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)

British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio

FILE - Spectators look at the solar eclipse through protective eyewear on the football field at Bowling Green State University on April 8, 2023, in Bowling Green, Ohio.
FILE - Spectators look at the solar eclipse through protective eyewear on the football field at Bowling Green State University on April 8, 2023, in Bowling Green, Ohio.

A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.

Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.

Read the full story here. (December 2024)

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