Inauguration Spurs Campus Political Debate

In light of the recent inauguration of Donald J. Trump, many Exonians have been engaged in political discussion. Students had differing reactions to not only the election of this contentious politician, but to their peers’ views and responses.

“I think recently with the most recent election and inauguration, there has been a noticeable increase in the political discussion around campus, and also an overwhelming amount of support for all the people it could affect.”

One Exonian recalled his initial reaction after witnessing Trump’s victory. “I thought it was a nightmare, but the nightmare was real,” the source said. “Our country voted for a rapist, racist and sexist.” The source chose to remain anonymous, as he didn’t want to receive backlash from his friends who support Trump. While facing this feeling of unease on campus, the source also explained how Trump’s election has already taken a toll on his safety. “Exeter will be my home for the next four years, and I don’t know if it’s safe here,” the source said. He continued to elaborate on his concerns, citing times when he was called racist expletives while walking through town. The source also mentioned times when his friends were the subject of an offensive slur.The troubling reason behind this source’s wish to speak anonymously has been a highly debated topic amongst students on campus. Earlier this week, senior and co-head of the Exeter Republican Club Alec Howe held a meeting in conjunction with the Democratic Club about openness of political discourse. During the discussion, senior Ali Hassani pointed out that like-minded students tend to form friend groups based around their political affiliations, and therefore have no problem sharing their opinions. According to Hassani, students believe they are “inherently right about their views,” and will become hostile to anything outside of those ideals.Howe reiterated Hassani’s statements, commenting on the dangers of considering a belief as part of personal identity. He emphasized that this confusion would then lead to an angry and confrontational response to any questions relating political affiliations. “When one conflates their sense of self and political beliefs, they can interpret any criticism of their political stance as an attack on themselves. That's counterproductive to an open discussion,” Howe said.Upper Christian Flores argued that if a student truly wanted to seek out the truth, they wouldn’t immediately shut down an idea; rather, they would critically analyze and scrutinize it. Flores also noted the danger of criticizing someone’s intelligence based of a set of ideas. “It’s not right to say that...Unless you agree with me at least a bit, you are someone unwilling to listen to opinions,” he said.Students have begun to discuss how openly they expressed their ideals, especially those who leaned more towards the right. Upper Sagar Rao said, “the school shows bias. However, I have never felt that I have been respected less because I am Republican because we, as students, are good at having these discussions.” Other students mirrored Rao’s opinion that the school and teachers should share their political opinions less. “Exeter’s over-reinforcement of PC culture puts a lot of emphasis on the rights of the offended,” said Howe, adding that teachers should not share their political views in class, as students may feel apprehensive about expressing their opinions which may differ from their teachers.Lower Reese Popkin, however, found a different experience from Rao. “I believe you can speak freely if you don’t care about being ridiculed,” Popkin said. While Popkin explained that he feels that he can talk about his support for Trump, he believes that many other students don’t share the same freedom. Popkin also touched on his opinion that many students do not participate in active political discussion because of Trump’s inauguration.“If anything, there has been a decrease as everyone is very sensitive about the new president,” Popkin said.Howe identified with Popkin’s statements, saying that although he is unaffected by the judgement of others, many conservative voices do not feel the same way. “Oftentimes, criticism of certain liberal policies will take place behind closed doors because students fear being judged by teachers and students alike,” Howe said. He suggested that if the school wanted to improve on its image as an environment of open discussion, it should not promote one-sided political discourse. Howe cited the posters encouraging students to “be strong” after the election and the offering of a safe-space in the church from the Office of Multicultural Affairs as ways to deter students from having political discussions, rather than bringing them together. “Such actions stifle discussion by bestowing a sense of “otherness” on students who disagree with the liberal consensus,” Howe said.However, primarily left-leaning students voiced a different stance than Howe and Popkins’ opinions. “This is a predominantly liberal environment, but that does not mean the absence of pro-Trump voices,” said senior Alejandro Arango, a co-head of Democratic Club. He elaborated on the divide between left and right, saying that while students had a number of reasons to stand behind Trump, many of the liberal students on campus had a difficult time “separating pro-Trump from pro-xenophobia, pro-racism, and pro-misogyny.” Arango appreciated the school’s ability to follow their intrinsic values of respectful dialogue and, in his opinion, encourage civil political discourse.Lower Kate Denny echoed Arango’s statements. In her opinion, the Exeter campus fosters an environment of respect and tolerance for a wide range of political views. Denny also commented on the effects of Trump’s presidency on political discourse. “I think recently with the most recent election and inauguration, there has been a noticeable increase in the political discussion around campus, and also an overwhelming amount of support for all the people it could affect,” Denny said. She cited social media platforms as well as Academy administration as ways to carry out conversations, and keep those discussions under control.Upper Menat Bahnasy, another co-head of Democratic Club, pointed out that it is difficult for students who do not believe in an accepted opinion or belief to speak freely on campus. “Unfortunately, many unpopular opinions are very heavily attacked on campus,” Bahnasy said. She cited the example of Exonians agreeing with defunding Planned Parenthood being criticized by many of the female students on campus who are passionate about women’s rights. “I do believe there are more conservative or Republican views on campus that are not apparent due to apprehensions of unpopular opinions,” she added. She also addressed the fact that some teachers and students feel that political discourse, especially those regarding sensitive topics, are “taboo” and uncomfortable. “Most political discussions come with layers that many feel are too complex to discuss in class or other locations,” Bahnasy said.With the upcoming four years of a Trump presidency, there are sure to be many political debates to come. Exeter offers a variety of platforms for those who want to speak their minds, such as Republican Club, Democratic Club and the variety of affinity groups on campus. Exonians should be conscientious of their words’ consequences, but they should never be afraid to share an opinion, question or idea regarding politics if they can do so in a respectful way.