A couple months back, I found this incredible picture of Hillary Clinton on Google Images. Yes, I know that sounds random and kind of stalker-y, but, trust me, the picture is legit #humangoals. HC looks regal as HECK and is just nonchalantly laughing, hand placed gently on chin, looking hella candid and such. As an avid Hillary supporter, I have had a plan to post this exact photo on Instagram for no reason other than because she is so casual and stunning and just AHH (!!). So, when the Presidential Debate aired on Sept. 26, 2016, I knew that was my prime opportunity to post such a quality flick.
However, when I made this decision and shared it with all my floor mates during the debate, I got a few too many glares than with which I was comfortable. I had always assumed that my peers here at Tulane would be in full support of my decision to post Hillary in all her glory because of the overwhelmingly liberal presence on campus. To my dismay, although I’m sure I was surrounded by mostly liberals, I was feeling hardcore judged for wanting to share my love of HC with the world. I didn’t end up posting the pictures due to my crippling fear of not getting enough likes from my non-liberal, non-Hillary supporting friends (yes, this is a real fear, don’t laugh at me), but that doesn’t mean I will stop sharing my love of the queen of all queens.
Long story short, I learned a valuable lesson from this experience. Because of my love of politics and current events, I will always be okay sharing my political opinions, no matter who I am around. Although, I know now that I need to be aware of the judgment that often goes hand-in-hand with speaking my mind. Judgment on college campuses is normal, especially when you’re in a diverse environment full of people with differing opinions. Just make sure that it doesn’t stop you from doing what you want to do, like it did with me. And, who knows, maybe I’ll get the courage to post my super cool picture during voting time!