Students of the Writing Department and Tiger Life come together to send a message of unity and love in front of the UC Fountain Thursday afternoon.
Students gathered Thursday at the Student Plaza by the University Center in response to Tuesday night’s election results.
Citizens of the United States defied all professional predictions Tuesday when they elected Donald J. Trump to be the 45th President of the United States.
“I had a couple of students who were upset because of the results,†Brennah Hutchison, a 26-year-old doctoral student teaching English at the University of Memphis, said. “I wanted to make sure they know that they’re welcome and the U of M is a great place to have these discussions.â€
Hutchison and 11 other English students started this event, titled “Love >†on Facebook, to create a space for students to talk about their beliefs and the election. The gathering was meant to promote tolerance and solidarity.
“It’s my job to create a safe space for students to learn,†Hutchison said.
The group of students who started this event wanted to create an environment where everyone could be together and feel together in a moment when they felt like the country is divided.
“I’m scared and I see that in my students, too,†Kendra Vanderlip, a 32-year-old graduate assistant teaching at the U of M, said.
The event started as a collaborative writing project but quickly turned into something more.
“I think there could be a silver lining to this election, the American people talking about the political system and how it operates,†Stephen Turner, a 27-year-old English doctoral student and one of the organizers for the event, said.
Many students, like 22-yearold senior Wil McVey, were very vocal on social media about their feelings on the outcome of the election. People who saw McVey’s response sent him a link to the Facebook event page for this gathering.
“I’m here to let people who are afraid or might be hurting now, or in the near future, know that we’re here to help,†McVey said. Kelsey Bowen, a 19-year-old sophomore at the U of M, said after election night, she needed that kind of environment.
“The atmosphere at the gathering was very safe and loving,†Bowen said. “It’s scary to see America is fine with having that man as its President. The fear of the unknown is scarier than the fear of what he will do because no one knows what he will actually do.â€
Other students, like 19-year-old sophomore Dalton Schultz, said they are scared for their future and the future of the people they care about.
“Everything’s up in the air. We don’t really know what’s going to happen,†Schultz said. Schultz pointed to the signs that had messages of love and hope written on them.
He said a good group of people who care about love gathered on Thursday. “In this election, there hasn’t been a lot of (love),†Schultz said. “I think afterwards is a great time to come together and to find people who aren’t so toxic.â€
