Students peacefully Protest

By Lauren Farberman

Theme Editor

Senior Owen Konsmo has a love for politics and expresses his passion by voicing his political opinions and participating in peaceful protests with his Costa peers.

Konsmo has been interested in politics since he was in middle school. He enjoys watching political debates and interviews on television.

“I have been an avid follower of news and politics since middle school,” Konsmo said. “It is social issues that matter to me the most because they can actively affect the lives of people that I personally know.”

Konsmo interned for State Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi over the summer and utilizes his knowledge of politics from the internship to share and spread his views to others by informing his peers. Konsmo takes inspiration from Democratic political leaders such as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who inspires him to stand up for what he believes in.

Link: Check out Muratsuchi’s campaign

“I think it is fair to say Warren is one of the first politicians who inspired me and made an active name for herself by being at the forefront of important issues on the news,” Konsmo said. “Politicians like Warren give me the inspiration to stand up for what I believe in and participate in events like the protest on Monday.”

Link: Warren’s website and current projects 

Konsmo not only participated in the protest to voice his opinions regarding the recent election, but also to support his friends who feel scared and threatened by some of new President-Elect Donald Trump’s statements regarding minorities. He says that he hopes his participation shows his friends that he stands with them.

“On a personal level, I am worried about my Hispanic or Muslim friends who could be poorly affected by some of Trump’s projected policies,” Konsmo said. “My most memorable part of the protest was the chant, ‘Love, not hate, makes America great’ because it sums up my feelings about the recent election results.”