Falcon Feelings Post-Election: Milena Almira

Riverdale Review: Did you vote in the 2024 presidential election?

Milena Almira: Yes, I voted. 

RR: Roughly how many elections (presidential and non) have you voted in?

MA: This is my first time voting in a federal election, and I also voted in the primaries.

RR: What were some of your reasons for voting or not in this cycle? 

MA: I am from Cuba, born and raised, and I’ve never voted democratically before and after I got my citizenship to the United States, I was really happy and eager to vote in a democratic country and it was a very emotional moment for me. 

RR: What are your initial thoughts/takeaways following the election results?

MA: You know, it has been hard to process but I am confident in the checks and balances that will keep our democracy in place. 

RR: What issues were on the ballot for you?

MA: For me this year, [beyond] the presidential election, were two things: more inclusivity in general and giving more powers to the Department of Sanitation to be more active and effective in the trash collection process such as food scraps and all the composts. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there are many more compost bins around the city and I believe that in 2025 or 2026 it will be mandatory for everyone. I am really into that and eager to follow that. 

RR: Any specific policies in the presidential election that we’re important for you [when] voting?

MA: In general I was voting for a more equitable country and the possibility for the middle class to hopefully access more opportunities to buy a home and housing in general.  

RR: Do you think Riverdale should address politics and its implications in the classroom more than we already do? 

MA: There is always a space to add more to the curriculum but I really loved how this year we had the lunch series with Dr. Honsberger, where I attended one of those and I think that faculty and students also went. So I think that not only in the curriculum but there are [also] spaces...or moments in the school where we can address non-partisan conversations and just talk about the facts and history.