Following the unprecedented election finale last night, George Mason students are finding ways to move on with a Donald Trump presidency. Senior Curtis Eichelberger and sophomore John Millward stood outside the North Plaza to offer free hugs and words of wisdom on politics. Eichelberger came up with the idea for the free hugs after witnessing the fear on Facebook due to the election results. Millward joined in on the free hugs project because he wanted to be productive and make a difference on campus.
“There are a lot of people, myself included, that are scared, sad, or angry at the results of this election. The whole point of this [project] was to spread love, no matter who you voted for, and really try and encourage people to unify and show love.”
In the span of five minutes, 11 people thanked them or came over for a hug. Eichelberger added, “There has been a plethora of hostility throughout this election season and we need to remind people that love is out there, and it’s worth spreading and fighting for.” Students wearing all black because they “were in mourning” of the election walked by Eichelberger and Millward and thanked the boys for their positivity.
According to Millward, “If you’re losing friends over this election cycle, you need to reevaluate. We all have our differences, but we need to come together moving forward. Politics suck. Love is great.”