Despite the unexpected events and chaos of 2020, one thing that has not changed is that the presidential election is coming up.

Sophomore accounting major Julia Soriano said major events like COVID-19 have shaped her perspective on the upcoming election and the country.

“This upcoming election has me feeling nervous, as well as excited. I feel that certain events like the pandemic has made me more aware of how our country is being handled, but I believe there could be major (for the better) changes after this upcoming election,” Soriano wrote.

Soriano said her main concerns with the upcoming election are for immigrants and public education.

Junior general business major Zalen Long is mainly concerned about how the pandemic and racial injustices happening in the United Sates are being addressed now.

“For me, the Pandemic is a hot button issue that needs to be addressed,” said Long. “This is something that we’ll most likely have to live with for the indefinite future, and I cannot leave out the issues with systemic racism and police brutality; things that have and will continue to plague communities like the one I belong to,” said Long, a member of the black community,

For sophomore political science major Manuela Lee, she is excited and ready for the 2020 election.

The main values she is looking for in our next president is upholding truth, having integrity and honoring science and facts.

“This administration has not only disregarded the word of the press, but also of science and made it seem that every fact presented is a lie or hoax,” said Lee. “Thus, putting the United States at the top of the world list in COVID-19 cases.”

Senior mass communication major James McBride said he is concerned that the media makes it difficult for people to distinguish fact from fiction in addition to voters getting too caught up in the campaign cycle and policies debated. He believes that we should choose someone for the betterment of the community, and not get caught up with issues that divide us along party lines.

“I believe the main thing we should look at when it comes to a POTUS [President of the United States] is what they intend to do with the men and women that serve in our military,” McBride said. “Because of this absolute power, they can move troops without the approval of Congress.”

Senior business major Jonathon Perkins, who is worried about the impact of recent protests on lives and businesses, said he plans to do a write in vote.

“I would encourage other students to remember that there is an alternative if you do not feel like President Trump or Biden are the best candidates,” Perkins said. “It is the little part in the bottom called – Write in vote in which you can vote for anyone in the world (as President).”

Although all students have unique concerns that they will be paying close attention to in the upcoming election, they all strongly encouraged other students to vote and assess the candidates on a variety of issues.

Election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Early voting in Texas begins October 13, 2020. Early voting locations in Tarrant County have yet to be released.