By Laura Sanicola
This article is continuously being updated with reactions from members of the Fordham community.
On Wednesday morning, Fordham awoke to the news that Donald J. Trump, a former Fordham student who ran in a heated election against Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, was voted the president-elect of the United States. The news has prompted professors to cancel classes, advisors to cancel meetings and student groups to mobilize protest and discussion events. In response, PRIDE held an impromptu meeting on Wednesday evening in the McGinley Center second floor lounge discuss the election results. Resident assistants in halls such as Finlay are holding meetings to discuss election results and concerns arising from them. Women’s empowerment distributed an email Wednesday to its members with mental health care resources.
The Fordham Ram reached out to some faculty and members of various student organizations including The College Democrats, the College Republicans, PRIDE, Women’s Empowerment, the Muslim Student’s Association, the United Student Government and others, for their reactions to the election. Most of the responses received by Wednesday afternoon, especially from members of the LGBTQIA, represent a dismayed and divided student body.
Sophia Dadap, FCLC ’18 and member of Fordham Students United , regarding the flyer–
“My thought is that it was likely a conscious decision to distance the posting at Fordham from the white nationalist group that made it and to leave it open for people to question whether or not the poster was actually racist when it clearly was.
It didn’t lessen the impact or dilute the message in any way, it was just a little more dishonest.
Even if it had not been attributed to that specific white supremacist group, the rhetoric is the same— the flyer asserts that white people are being victimized, harmed and policed by people of color or shamed prevented from ‘celebrating their heritage.’
Really, no one is harming or denigrating European cultures in the way that the flyer suggests. So the only thing the flyer can be taken to mean is that people should celebrate and embrace a generalized construction of whiteness founded on the legacy of violent racism in the U.S. and the history of colonialism across Europe.”
Reactions:
UPDATE: 11/15/16 at 9:37 p.m.
On Monday, a flyer was found in Dealy Hall advising “Euro-Americans” to “Stop: apologizing, living in fear, denying your heritage.” The bottom of the flyer said “white people exist, white people have the right to exist, white people have the right to exist as white people.”
The same flyer was found at University of Michigan in September. This one, though, included the phrase “Be White”, and was accompanied by a flyer advising white women not to date black women.
The flyer was found the day after President-Elect Donald Trump named Stephen Bannon his senior counselor and chief West Wing strategist. Bannon is executive chairman of Breitbart, an ultra conservative news source touted by the Ku Klux Klan.
Some incendiary Breitbart headlines include “Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy” and “Gabby Giffords: The Gun Control Movement’s Human Shield.”
Fordham Students United (FSU) posted the picture of the flyer on Facebook, inciting a debate in the comments regarding the nature of the flyer.
“There is no doubt that this is an act of aggression toward students of color… We reject the growing confidence of reactionaries in our community and on university campuses throughout the country,” said FSU in the Facebook post.
Daniel Stroie, GSB ’17 and president of United Student Government–“This election, this campaign, has created rifts in our communities and our country, with so much happening over the last few days. I think the one thing we can focus on and tangibly affect is our community, and making sure we come back together while respecting each other’s humanity.”
Sofia Dadap, FCLC ’18 and a member of Fordham Students United and Sex and Gender Equity and Safety Coalition–Personally I wasn’t expecting it and I don’t think the other members of the group were either.
“The group is clearly disgusted with Trump and his reactionary supporters — this mobilization of white supremacists who are excited about the prospect of openly harming the oppressed people in the country and superexploited people outside it is definitely scary and personal for everyone.
But the truth is that the electoral system under a liberal democracy offers no real freedom or choice and fails to meet peoples needs. People have a lot of anger and pain right now that’s being misdirected toward people who voted for “third party candidates” which is definitely wrong.
Building peoples power and organization against capitalism and racism is not based on voting once every four years for one of two bourgeois parties with many of the exact same interests in globalization and war.
People should be looking at problems like felony disenfranchisement (fed by the program of mass incarceration) and the inability of undocumented immigrants to vote in order to understand how power drives participation and makes it impossible for the peoples rights to be protected.
In other words, people who can participate don’t have much of a real choice if they are driven by fear or faced with coercion and propaganda. And then some of those people most affected by it are deliberately excluded from even making that decision.
My last comment is that as horrifying and emotional this whole process has been, it’s important not to be demoralized and to keep organizing around these problems which already existed but will surely be exacerbated by the outcomes of this election.”
The Fordham University College Republican’s Official Statement on the 2016 Election Results–
The College Republicans would like to congratulate President-elect Donald J. Trump on a hard-fought campaign and victory Tuesday night. We would also like to congratulate his staff and the many volunteers that spend thousands of hours and manpower to get their candidate elected and people to the polls. We are thrilled that the GOP will be maintaining control of the Senate and House of Representatives, and look forward to what they will be able to accomplish over at least the next two years in which they control the White House and Congress. We are also glad that we will have the opportunity to nominate and hopefully appoint conservative Supreme Court Justices, which even we will admit was quite a gamble on the part of the Senate. The College Republicans also congratulate Secretary Hillary Clintonand her team on her campaign, which, while like our own was not positively viewed by her entire party, did a superb job of unifying and exciting her supporters and her Party.
Like the party nationwide, the College Republicans were and remain split over support for President-elect Trump. The club had supporters of Mr. Trump as well as for Gary Johnson, Evan McMullin, and several others. However, there is little doubt that he will work with the Republican Congress, several of which have years of experience in Washington, to produce good legislation that is beneficial to all the people of this country. The President of the United States does not have unlimited and unrestrained power, which should be kept in the back of the minds of those worried about his administration or what he may attempt to do. Whether or not individual members support him, we are all hoping that he does well while in office. No one should hope that their country fails, struggles, or is not able to provide for the safety of her people.
It should be addressed that yes, Secretary Clinton won more of the popular vote than Mr. Trump, and some might feel cheated over his victory or that the election was rigged. But The United States is a Republic, and this is how our system works and has worked since days of the Founding Fathers. It seems odd that when Mr. Trump implied he would not accept the election results it was considered outrageous, treasonous, etc., but now that it is the other candidate at the losing end that opinion has appeared to fly out the window. And we doubt that if President-elect Trump had won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College, his opponents would not say the same. In 2008 and 2012, people predicted President Obama would bring on the apocalypse. We’re still here.
We also commend President Obama on his handling of the race over the last few weeks. His dealing with a Trump supporter at a Clinton rally and his efforts to reach out to President Trump during the upcoming transition, referencing the courtesy President Bush showed him eight years ago, shows a tremendous amount of class and dignity, despite his obvious disappointment of the outcome.
The next four years will be an exciting time in American history. We are anxious, curious, and excited to see what it produces.
God bless you, God bless Fordham, and God bless the United States of America.
An email from the deans of the business school, liberal arts school, students and director of campus ministry was sent to the student body on Thursday night.
Dear Fordham College at Rose Hill and Gabelli School of Business Students,
As we have reflected on the presidential campaign and the tumultuous events of the last several days, we wanted to write to express our care and concern for you. Regardless of who you voted for or which candidate you supported, you are part of a community and a country that now needs to come together to seek understanding and work toward a strong and bright future. Among the many messages we heard yesterday in response to the election, there are two that we want to highlight for you: Pope Francis’ call for “dialogue, mutual acceptance and fraternal cooperation” and President Obama’s encouragement to “go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens, because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy.”
As we work together toward the common goals and ideals found in our mission as a University, please join us for an interfaith prayer service tomorrow at noon in Our Lady’s Chapel in the University Church.
Sincerely,
Thomas Palumbo, FCRH ’17 and president of the College Democrats–I, along with my fellow club members, am very disheartened at the results of this election. Hillary Clinton was an incredible, qualified, dedicated candidate and we are very proud of the campaign she ran. She reminded us that we are stronger together and that America can be a country for all Americans. Donald Trump ran a campaign based in hatred, fear, and misinformation, and his victory has left many members of the Fordham community fearful for their future and their safety. That being said, the country has spoken and I am rooting for his success. Not the success of the hateful ideas that he extolled in his campaign, but rather for his success as a President for all Americans. We will continue to fight against injustice in all its forms and hope that all Americans and their President do the same.
Charlie Stephenson, FCRH ’17 and a member of the LGBTQIA community —
“Today has been very difficult for me as I know it has been for many of my fellow Americans. As a gay man, I fear for my future and safety as other minorities fear for their’s. As this election has crystalized, fear can so easily slip into anger or hatred. As the day progresses I keep thinking of my Gram who always has a smile on her face and love in her heart. I know what unites my family now is her grace and the kindness she instilled in us all, so I am holding onto that today and into the future. To everyone worried about America’s future: please keep your voices loud and love in your heart and words. To my friends and family that voted for Trump: I greet your aversion with love and hope we can open a discourse to begin to break down the walls that so violently separate our nation and move forward in a productive manner. To those that cannot understand why this decision is so scary for so many people in this country, I urge you to listen to your friends and family that are minorities or affected by this for any reason and hear what they have to say. Take the time to understand. We won’t move forward if we cannot listen to each other. And finally, to my little sister who just turned 16 and the other girls and women who are family and friends: don’t let any man take your voice away with abuse and fear. One day we will all hear the great boom as the glass ceiling finally shatters. I love you all. Let’s try to work together in this.”
Dr. Mark Naison, chair of the African American Studies department —“The election sent a wave of fear through Black Latino And Muslim communities in the Bronx, especially among children who fear they and their families will be targets of violence and deportation. It is a time for people of conscience to show solidarity with these communities and if it comes to that defend them from harm.To all the children who think that half the people in the country hate you, fear you, want to deport you, want to silence your voice- please know that some of us, perhaps many of us, will not let that happen without putting our bodies between you and those who seek to hurt you.“
Claire DelSorbo, FCRH ’19 and a member of Fordham’s PRIDE Alliance —
“When I say ‘unfriend me if you vote for Trump,’ I really mean it. A vote for Trump means a vote against every woman, every immigrant and child of an immigrant, every person of color, every LGBTQ person in your life. I dare you to look them in the face and explain why you felt so compelled to vote for 2 men who hate their entire existence. There is no way around it. If you voted for Trump, you stand with racism, xenophobia, misogyny, classism and ableism. Please unfriend me, not only from Facebook, but from real life as well, if you voted for Trump.”
Declan Murphy, FCRH ’18 and student of government and politics —
“In the cold light of morning..I still don’t feel any better. But I won’t give up on studying politics. I’m going to have to keep going — because I have to understand how this happened, so that it NEVER happens again.”
Adrianna Redhair, FCRH ’17, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community —
“More likely than not, most of you are aware I’m gay. It’s hard not to be, I shout about it every other day. The future doesn’t look as bright as I hoped it might for LGBTQ people in this country after tonight. Since the age of thirteen to just less than a year ago, I thought about killing myself once a day. That’s once a day for eight years. I knew I was gay, I hated myself for it, and I was afraid that there wasn’t a place for me in this country and this world because I was gay. Because of decisions and attitudes and actions that led to tonight, for millions of LGBTQ people, especially young, confused and scared kids, that thought I once had is now a reality. The only thing I can tell myself that even attempts to ease the pain is this – I am going to fight SO hard these next years – for me, for you, for ALL of us. Crossing this road may be lengthy and full of hurt, but I’ll see you on the other side.”
Cameron Galleghar, FCRH ’17 and a member of Fordham’s PRIDE Alliance —“I am, first of all, shocked. I followed this pretty closely and never imagined anything but a Clinton win. And second I am disappointed. As an LGBTQ+ Republican I am disappointed in my party. And as American I am disappointed in my country. There have to be ways to send a message without electing someone who reminds me of my middle school bully and has unintelligent, if any, policy. As a Catholic, I have no choice but to pray for Trump and our country.”
Ben • Nov 12, 2016 at 7:18 am
As a son of an immigrant and a Latino, I voted for Donald J Trump. My family fled communism and left Cuba and Yugoslavia to come to America and have a better chance at raising their family. I am first generation and I am a legal U.S. citizen who not only attended Fordham but served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps. I understand why so many illegal immigrants are frustrated and worried but the fact that remains is that they are breaking the law. We instituted laws in this country that must be followed otherwise what’s the point of having a law if it isn’t upheld. We are creating anarchy by allowing these people to stay; hence the riots throughout the country. We are giving legal immigrants a huge disservice by showing them they have wasted their time and money on becoming American citizens. We must come together as a nation to figure out this huge dilemma that has plagued us for many years. Deportation is only a small step in fixing this problem. We need to understand why they are coming here and why they are choosing not to become citizens. The fact that so many people will not listen to concerned Americans throughout the country seems to be the reason why so many people voted for Trump. Outsourcing is another huge blow to the average American citizen. Companies are moving their factories overseas and citizens are becoming displaced and losing their job, and their homes. Understandingly we do have more factories today then in the 1970’s. However, technology has cut out the middle man, which is the factory workers. We are living in a new age were dependency on technology has clouded our reality. All in all, I am a proud of my alma matter and proud of my service to my country. I hope that the beacon of hope and the willingness to learn from both sides creates that change we all want in this country comes to fruitation. Otherwise “A house divided against itself cannot stand” Lincoln.
Jack Walton FC72 • Nov 11, 2016 at 9:55 pm
Please to read the linked WAPO op-ed: ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/11/09/trump-won-because-college-educated-americans-are-out-of-touch
As students and alum of a Jesuit university, it would be helpful to conduct the daily “examen” and seek to understand how we have misunderstood and under-appreciated the angst in a vast swath of America.
Gerard K. Meagher • Nov 10, 2016 at 9:33 am
As a former editor of the Ram, I am a one sided article you presented. Mark Naison is still stirring the leftist pot. Fordham is supposedly a Roman Catholic institution. I am a Roman Catholic who thinks abortion is bloody murder. I proudly and loudly voted for Trump. I think you leftists would be surprised at how many Fordham grads joined me.
The Fordham Ram • Nov 10, 2016 at 11:05 am
Please email your response and graduation year to [email protected] to have it included in the article.
Ben Arisen (@BrightLeaf88) • Nov 9, 2016 at 6:07 pm
Reaction: Donald Trump is not going to start murdering gay people, women and minorities. He is only going to deport illegal immigrants, which is good because they have to go back. Many gays, women, black and hispanic people voted for Trump. White heterosexual men are less than 35% of the population so clearly they are not the only demographic that liked his message of nationalist unity and pride for all citizens. President Trump has called on us to remember that America is the best country on Earth because we have the best people, and not the other way around. We need to defend our culture and unique American way of life from those who wish to subvert or dilute them, and that starts with supporting and defending each other as American citizens first.
Alex Jing • Nov 10, 2016 at 12:10 am
Murdering these groups of people isn’t the problem (we all hope). The treatment of them as less than any other human being (i.e. the white American male) is what is wrong with Trump and those who share his views and/or allow them to dictate their actions. In addition, you claim that undocumented immigrants “have to go back.” This is clearly, and sadly, an opinion held by many who may or may not realize the many positive arguments for this type of immigration (for one, they don’t simply take jobs away from Americans, especially not one-for-one, because they expand the economy, creating jobs. This can be seen in many studies, like one done on the results of the Mariel boatlift on the city Miami and the surrounding areas). However you may feel about their contributions to the economy and the society as a whole, the right answer is definitely not to just send them back. These are our friends and family, many of whom share ideals of freedom and equality that America was founded on. This equality should not be limited to specific majority groups; yet, this contradiction is astoundingly a main feature of the arguments frequently used by Trump’s followers. Additionally, it has been made evident that we don’t actually have “the best people” in the world. This is obviously debatable, but I hold true to my belief that people who allow (by actively supporting his beliefs or by choosing to deal with them because there was no other choice) a racist, sexist, etc. person to be President cannot be the “best” this world can offer. I also support a view of people that encompasses the entire world, because our planet is full of so-called “best people” (in all countries), many of them looking at our “decision” with fear and anger. Holding an elitist view that one country’s people (which, in a Trump-led society, may well be just the majority group(s)) are superior to another’s is wrong and combats everything so many around the world have fought for, notably the ideas of cultural relativism and overall acceptance. I do think that America is unique, but minorities of all kinds (including ALL immigrants) should be embraced not rejected, outcast, and “defended’ against. If anything, realize at least that most of what makes us inspiring (at least up until now) is our acceptance of these people, no matter how different they might seem. We need to defend the culture of acceptance that has fostered such greatness in the past from those who wish to subvert our institutions of equality and freedom (Trump himself and his supporters/enablers), and that starts with supporting and defending each other as human beings first.
Ben Arisen (@BrightLeaf88) • Nov 10, 2016 at 1:37 am
The only thing that makes the one nation different from another is the fact that every nation has different people. Every other facet of a nation springs upward from the beliefs, behaviors and characteristics of those people. The culture, crime rates, economy, type of government, laws, religious institutions and everything else that differs among nations are all things that emerge from the citizens that comprise them and will for them to be so. If people from some Nation X overwhelmingly want to move to America and not the other way around, we must consider why that is. There must be something about the American culture, government, national security or economy that both Americans and people from Nation X agree that we have better. But because those establishments are emergent properties of a body of similar citizens, it is not sensible to allow people to dilute our own pool of citizens who have failed to create such establishments themselves. If it is just a small trickle of immigrants this effect is not noticeable, but if they come faster than our system can assimilate them, our country just becomes more like the country they were trying to escape in the first place, which must be subjectively worse in the eyes of all parties involved. Although I seriously doubt that it is our “culture of acceptance” that makes people want to illegally immigrate here (are you really arguing that any ethnic or cultural group is more accepted here than in their home country?) it is still funny you bring that up because it’s a great example of a uniquely Western ideal that we stand to lose if our people are replaced by people who do not hold it. The average poor immigrant from a violent country could not possibly give less of a shit about any minority group besides his own, and not about gays or women’s rights either.
As to your point about cultural relativism, I am sorry so many have fought for it, because it is a cancer. Obviously it is impossible to “objectively” judge one culture or nation as being better than another, because such a thing is not measurable, but every person can judge the different societies and form a personal opinion about which he or she would most want to live in. It is NOT elitist or wrong to feel that the culture a person is part of is better than cultures that person is not a part of. Every culture can and should be the best for the people that comprise it, because culture comes from the beliefs, behaviors and traditions that people have in common with their families, friends and ancestors. Everyone feels this way, and trying to take that away from people just to replace their beliefs with some bland global consumerist culture is both naive and misguided, and destroys all of the individual cultures that gave the world a beautiful human diversity in the first place. Cultural relativism tears down the traditional moral and ethical systems that societies have created just for themselves over thousands of years and replaces them with hedonism and societal decay.
Lastly, it is the regressive left that wants to subvert our uniquely American institution of equality, not Trump. People seem to have forgotten it these days, but the American dream and our constitution are based on the ideal of equality of opportunity, not a guaranteed equality of outcome. The former idea is what Trump and his supporters actually care about, as we perceive that it is being curtailed by people who want to artificially bolster the status and success of minority groups at the expense of real American equality. We should root out explicit discrimination in hiring and mortgage applications, for example, but we should not give entire groups of people positions they do not deserve because we have a theory that explains why they should have deserved it. This is a question of opinion concerning ethics, and like it or not, the majority of people do not want the traditional American institution of equality to be dismantled.
President-elect Donald Trump was democratically elected. • Nov 9, 2016 at 4:41 pm
As of 11/9/16 at 4:40p.m., this article does not report conservative viewpoints or any positive reaction about the President-elect. Shameful and cowardly.
The Fordham Ram • Nov 9, 2016 at 5:49 pm
As of 11/9/16 at 5:49 p.m., The Fordham Ram did not receive a response from a single person giving conservative viewpoint or positive reaction about the President-elect. The Fordham Ram called for responses on Twitter and reached out to the College Republicans.