On November 8, 2016, citizens of the United States of America cast their final ballots and waited to hear who would fulfill the oval office next. Later that night, or rather the early morning of the following day, Donald Trump took the stage of the Hilton Hotel in New York City to announce that he would be our next president.
The crowd at the Hilton cheered and clapped, ecstatic to see that their favored candidate had crossed the finish line after over a year of intense campaigning.
But not everyone felt that way.
“Overall, I’m disappointed with the decision America made Tuesday and it burns a little more that Hillary won the popular vote,” said Livia Sanders, a junior majoring in advertising. “In uncertain times like these, it is important to remain proactive. Fear is the reaction some of these Trump supporters want to instill.”
In contrast to the coverage of the Hilton, the footage from Hillary Clinton’s election night event looked grim. Shots from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which had been cleared just hours before, featured crying supporters and handmade signs strewn across the streets.
Wednesday morning on the U of I campus, students and teachers arranged for solidarity meetings at the Women’s Resource Center and at the Department of Latina/o Studies building. Many took to the quad to hold hands and share hugs.
Sophomore Alondra Chaidez said that she thinks a lot of rallies, protests and movements will be taking place on campus in the coming weeks and years.
“As Election Day showed, our society is divided literally in half and it’s so sad to witness it and accept it,” Chaidez said. “I feel like half of the people living in the same country that I live in dislike me for the color of my skin and for being a woman.”
This election has proved to be more controversial than most because of the president-elect’s comments made about women in tapes from 2005 and more recent accusations of sexual assault by numerous women, some of which who appeared on his television show The Celebrity Apprentice.
“As a woman, I am very concerned that the upcoming political decisions that are going to be made will not reflect my needs or be enacted in my best interest,” Sanders said.
It is still unclear what plans Trump has in store for the immigration system and institutions like Planned Parenthood. According to a speech he delivered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Trump said he would begin deporting illegal immigrants within his first 100 days in office.
“I think the outcome will make people more politically involved, more aware (polarized on both ends of the political spectrum), and more vocal about their beliefs and values,” Sanders said.
Protests have erupted in major cities across the nation. While most remained peaceful, a recent Anti-Trump protest in Portland, Oregon, was classified as a riot due to violence and property destruction.
“We need to be in solidarity towards the situation and not give up hope and fight together. I am strong believer in change and impact, Chaidez said. “It’s going to take a lot of action to see change, but it’s possible. We live in a democracy and our opinion and actions matter.”
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