Students React to Impending Inauguration
On Jan. 20, business tycoon and television personality Donald J. Trump will officially become the 45th president of the United States. The noontime swearing-in ceremony will be broadcasted live across the world as Trump places a hand upon the Bible and repeats the oath that every American president before him has taken: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Reactions to Trump’s election and imminent inauguration have been varied across the Exeter campus. For some, it has brought up questions of safety. One senior, who wished to remain anonymous as he is currently in the process of applying for his green card, has wondered over the past few months about his situation as a non-American citizen studying at Exeter.
The student came to the United States through an H1B visa, a type of work visa that requires a sponsor. According to him, this visa has a preference for STEM workers, as well as students with outstanding academic achievements. While most foreigners who receive the H1B are college graduates, the senior is a special case, as he has lived in the United States for ten years. Given that Trump has “flip-flopped” on his position regarding the H1B, the student believes that it could possibly be in danger. “[The H1B visa] has a small quota, but the applicant number is going up exponentially,” the source said. He listed the reasons behind a potential limit to these visas. “Trump criticized specifically the tech industry for using the visa to outsource jobs to countries such as India,” he said. While the student is concerned for this specific visa, he acknowledged that the immigration process overall could become tougher during Trump’s presidency, making it difficult to acquire any type of visa or green card.
“I believe that after Trump’s inauguration, students will begin to ponder ways to make Exeter’s community a more welcoming, safe and accepting community, despite Trump’s beliefs and influences.”
Other students, such as upper Menat Bahnasy, emphasized the importance of keeping a positive outlook on the situation. As a co-head of the Democratic Club on campus, she noted that the result of the election created “unity and solidarity across the board,” despite differences in party affiliation and opinion. After the announcement of Trump’s victory, Bahnasy found that Exonians began to engage in more discussions. “I’ve seen very liberal students take the opportunity to sit down and chat with very conservative students asking questions such as, ‘Why did you support/vote for Donald Trump?’” Bahnasy said. Although she expressed her disappointment that such a drastic event had to occur in order to catalyze these conversations, she commended students and faculty for their willingness to address these topics.
Bahnasy also commented on the President-elect’s effect on different groups of people at Exeter, particularly those of color, members of the LGBT+ community, Muslims, immigrants and women—as well as their allies. “Donald Trump’s inauguration will be an extremely difficult time,” she said. However, Bahnasy believes that conversations around campus will not focus on anger or sadness, but rather on progress. “I believe that after Trump’s inauguration, students will begin to ponder ways to make Exeter’s community a more welcoming, safe and accepting community, despite Trump’s beliefs and influences,” Bahnasy said, reiterating her confidence that Trump’s presidency will not tear Exonians apart, but instead bring many together to stand up for equality and human rights.
Lower Adrian Venzon, co-head of Exeter’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), voiced concerns about LGBTQ+ rights under a Trump administration. While it is unlikely that Trump would be able to undo much of the progress made under Obama’s administration, such as the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage nationwide, the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric of Vice President-Elect Pence is alarming nonetheless. “What’s most frightening are the hate crimes that have happened since the election,” said Venzon. He noted the recent increase in harassment and even violence against LGBT+ communities, pointing out that the emotional trauma of such incidents is often dismissed or overlooked. “I think that the fear we feel is certainly valid,” Venzon said. He emphasized the importance of preserving Obama’s legacy of same-sex marriage rights, and of acknowledging the fears of the queer community going into Trump’s inauguration. “In times like this it’s important for us to be there for each other, and I hope that the Exeter community is capable of doing so,” Venzon said.
Senior and co-head of Feminist (Fem) Club Charlotte Sununu spoke about some of the issues facing American women under Trump’s administration. She said that Fem Club discussed the potential loss of access to birth control and other forms of contraception, elaborating that the club encouraged everyone who had ever considered using contraception to look into getting a long-term IUD while it was still readily available. One pressing issue facing women’s rights advocates as Trump takes up the mantle is the possible defunding of Planned Parenthood. However, Sununu affirmed her faith in the ability of Cecile Richards and her team at Planned Parenthood to remain receptive and aware of possible threats to the organization moving into the new administration. She also noted the significant consequences that defunding the organization would have on American citizens’ access to affordable health care. “The House and Senate have already begun to take steps to defund Affordable Care Act and have talked about gutting Planned Parenthood, which both play a big role in providing low income women and men with access to things not just like birth control but STD and STI testing and cancer screenings,” she said.
Sununu also expressed concern at the unusually charged gender politics of the last election, referencing Trump’s opponents who had criticized his seemingly misogynistic outlook. Sununu observed a systemic change in the nation’s mindset, an after effect of “electing a man who almost normalizes speaking about sexualy assaulting women and uses abrasive language towards women and minorities.” She fears Trump’s behavior will set a national precedent justifying the harassment and disrespect of women and minorities, the effects of which will be visible both on campus and across the country.
Senior Alec Howe, co-head of the Republican Club, also noticed the highly polarized shift in the political climate campus and nation-wide following the November election. He attributed the division to Trump’s condemnation of political correctness.“To Trump supporters, Trump represents a man who might actually get something done in a Washington all too obsessed with image and ‘saying the right thing,’” Howe said. “On the other hand, those who oppose Trump see him as a misogynist racist; a man who represents a backwards, xenophobic white America that we should have left long ago.”
Fellow Republican Club co-head and senior Tyler Hou described the feeling on campus following Trump’s election as the five stages of grief. “I saw a lot of denial and anger in the days following the election; the other stages are more private, so it’s hard for me to comment,” he said. Howe believed this divisive and emotionally charged political atmosphere will only continue into Trump’s presidency. However, he felt that a greater effort needs to be made on campus to include people from all parts of the political spectrum in the ongoing political conversation. “In order to solve this issue of polarization, the school ought to encourage actual dialogue and not silence those who disagree with Exeter’s liberal consensus,” he said. Howe said he was skeptical that conservatives would get an equal voice in school-wide platforms such as The Exonian.
Howe addressed some of the cabinet appointments and policies Trump has been working on during his transition period. He asserted his confidence in Rex Tillerson, the man Trump has selected as his Secretary of State. “His proven pragmatism and extensive understanding of Russia will help us to deal with a rival who has been able to outmaneuver the Obama administration,” Howe said. Huo, on the other hand, felt unease with Trump’s decision to appoint a man with “questionable” ties to Russia. “I personally don’t support a Trump presidency, so I’ve mostly been critical of his appointments and distrustful of his Russian influences,” he said. Howe also expressed disappointment in the nomination of Scott Pruitt, a vocal climate change denier, as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Going into Trump’s administration, Howe was fearful that the increasingly hostile political climate and disunity within the country would leave the nation especially vulnerable on a global scale. However, he said that he remains most hopeful that Trump’s pro-business economic and expansive infrastructure policies will be positive investments in America’s future.
As Trump takes the oath of office tomorrow, Exonians across campus will watch in celebration, panic and everything in between. Both the campus and the nation stand historically divided. Regardless of their political inclinations, all students can find common ground in the fact that open-minded, constructive dialogues will be able to mend the rifts in the Exeter community.
In a letter sent to the student body by Dean of Multicultural Affairs Rosanna Salcedo, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMSA) offered itself as a space where community members can go to engage in further conversation and “receive a positive affirmation” this Friday, Jan. 20. Philips Church, in conjunction with OMSA, will “create a safe space for rest, renewal and care” that day as well. All students were invited to stop by the Church basement on Friday night for conversations and a moment of pause, as well as “to light a candle of hope for our world.”