As President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration approaches, MSMS students have felt upset and fear for what’s to come during his presidency.

Trump’s policy changes can be found in Agenda 47, a manifesto in which he details his most drastic plans for the U.S. after he takes office. Some of these plans include further restricting reproductive rights, defunding the Department of Education and protecting children from so-called “left-wing gender insanity.” 

If these plans go through, they have the potential to affect MSMS and its students deeply. 

If the Department of Education gets defunded, federal student aid and nationwide standards ensuring each state gets an equal education will be lost. According to Trump, his plans to defund the Department of Education are to prevent students from hearing “all sorts of things that you don’t want our youth hearing.” 

History teacher, Young Democrats and Young Republicans sponsor Chuck Yarborough explained how closely tied MSMS is to educational policies.

“All of our students are planning to go to college. All of our students are at a public school,” he said. “Consequently, issues that would impact education, both secondary and post-secondary, will likely impact MSMS students.”

Another problem Mississippians may face once Trump assumes office is the increased ban on abortions. With Mississippi being the second highest in the nation for teen pregnancy rates, the number of teen parents will most likely increase as restrictions tighten up. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, up to 70% of teen moms drop out of high school.

During the Trump-Harris presidential debate, the harmful rhetoric Trump perpetuated further increased the divide between those for and against abortion rights. 

Yarborough said he disliked how candidates continued to spread misinformation during the election cycle.

“It seems to me there are more misrepresentations or even falsehoods being stated by the candidates. That lack of honesty with the American people, I think, is problematic,” he said.

Since the majority of the MSMS’s student body identifies as female, these damaging policies can potentially affect many students.

MSMS Young Republicans President Logan Lechner, a senior, said he is concerned for women once Trump assumes office, adding how supporting these issues conflicts with his party.

“His opinions regarding abortion and how stringent he advocates against the reproductive rights of women [are] major issues with him,” he said. “[It’s] an issue I care about, but I don’t think just because you align with one party [means] you have to agree with everything they say.” 

MSMS LGBTQIA+ students will also be affected by Trump’s detrimental policies that target schools supporting students who identify as transgender. One of the most notable upcoming plans in Trump’s presidency is the exclusion of transgender students from Title IX, established in 1972 to prevent sex-based discrimination in any educational institution.

Co-president of the MSMS Gender Sexuality Alliance, senior Eli Bankston said the number of students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community here encompasses a significant portion of the school’s student body. 

“The school I’m originally from has about 1,200 students in total, and I feel like there are more [LGBTQIA+] people [at MSMS] than there were [there],” he said.

Just one day after the election, the Trevor Project reported a 700% spike in crisis calls made by LGBTQIA+ people nationwide. Additionally, from 2020 to 2022, the enactment of 48 anti-transgender laws has led to a 72% increase in attempted suicide rates by transgender and nonbinary youth. Seeing these patterns, LGBTQIA+ youth are in danger of losing their rights as more conservative leaders gain power in the U.S.

Despite the rise in youth who claim they are losing faith in politics, these policies have the potential to affect people’s lives drastically. 

Yarborough said keeping yourself informed about politics is important.

“You either have a seat at the table, or you’re on the menu, but dinner will be served,” Yarborough said.