Editorial: How Tufts should address Trump's inauguration

Nov. 9, 2016 was a confusing day for many Americans. Polls had overwhelmingly predicted former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be the next president of the United States, yet some were delighted and some were despondent to wake up the next morning and find out it was Donald Trump, not Clinton, who had become president-elect.

On the Tufts University campus, many responded openly and unhappily to the news of Trump's election. Students wept in the Mayer Campus Center, professors wore black in mourning and social media explodied in a swarm of angry statuses and Snapchat stories.

On Jan. 20, 2017, Trump’s reign of murky change is scheduled to begin. Tufts should capitalize on the forewarning that it did not have for the election and plan programs that encourage discourse on and after inauguration day. The university is starting out on the right foot with the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life’s “Presidential Inauguration Watch and Conversation.” Prompting earnest discussions about the repercussions of Trump’s presidency, including his appointee decisions and proposed policies, is an important first step to understanding and, in some cases, fighting them. 

Tufts should also use its connection to the arts to create opportunities for students to express their feelings regarding the monumental change that this country is about to undergo. The university’s various publications and art programs -- which now include those of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts -- could open special post-inauguration exhibitions to engage students that may not normally participate. This would not only be a creative outlet for passionate students but would also serve as a way to document student reactions to the historic election.

It is also crucial to realize that not everyone on campus is upset about the election’s results. Tufts has plenty of students and faculty who preferred Trump to Clinton, making his inauguration a positive day in their lives. These members of the Tufts community, although not the majority, should not feel alienated by the discourse on campus; in fact, they should be treated as an asset to our campus' intellectual diversity. In addition to programs to help students cope with legitimate fears of a Trump presidency, programs could also be created to encourage bipartisan dialogue between students with disparate political opinions. Fostering civil discourse between opposing ideologies is a gift in any intellectual environment. This holds particularly true in the aftermath of the long and divisive 2016 election.

Of course, emotions will continue to heighten past inauguration day. As appointments continue to roll in, some policies will begin to unfold while others are stripped away. Many Tufts students fear the xenophobia, racism, homophobia, sexism and other prejudices that have been demonstrated in Trump's rhetoric. Tufts students, professors and faculty alike should take advantage of the concentration of intellect at Tufts and continue to hold events and discussions to make sense of the election. Our community must work to turn emotions about our country into conversation, productivity and action.