By Princess Ezeofor, Contributing Writer
Posted 6:15 PM EST, Tues, Dec. 6, 2016
In the early morning of November 9, president-elect Donald Trump was elected the nation’s 45th President of the United States at the shocking conclusion of the 2016 presidential election. His divisive campaign strategies proved to be the ammunition he needed to win the election and positioned him to become the oldest president ever elected.
“Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division,” said Trump in his acceptance speech. “We have to get together. To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.”
For many Howard University students, Trump’s win was an unexpected upset, and some students across the university expressed dissatisfaction of the presidential election results.
“I expected the country to make the right vote and to choose the right candidate,” said Howard University senior Darryl Travers. “I was disappointed.”
“I remember the very moment after president-elect Trump was confirmed to be elected. It was the first time in a long time that I actually felt frightened,” said Howard University senior Robert Goodson. “I felt fear…and I actually could feel that the mood of the country had shifted.”
And while some students expressed disappointment, others have yet to come to grips with the reality of a Trump presidency.
“President Trump. That doesn’t even sound right,” said Howard University sophomore Sean Easton. “There’s always some hesitation. I just can’t actually get the words out.”
“At this point anyone can run for presidency. It doesn’t take a legitimate platform to become president of the United States. That is what this election has shown us. That is what this election has shown the world,” said Howard University junior Gabrielle Murphy.
With disappointment and frustrations by the elections outcome, there are those who are optimistic about what the future holds for millennials in the wake of a President Trump administration.
“Donald Trump was once a democrat. We have to remember that. For now, the description of a Trump presidency is unknown, but I commend him for looking for wise counsel,” said Goodson.
“Those who are discouraged by the election should wait, become knowledgeable and find ways to spread the knowledge they’ve garnered within their communities,” said Easton.
“One thing I think may be a silver lining in this is that this will galvanize people, especially Howard students, to move towards political fields that they may have not been looking at before,” Travers said. “Maybe we [Howard] will produce the next president of the United States.”
