Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, political student groups on campus including Tufts Democrats, Tufts Republicans and Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts are preparing for a semester under the new presidential administration.
Senior Ethan Putlack, president of Tufts Republicans, said he believes that Trump’s presidency “will make some people more willing and some people less willing” to join the club.
Zach Zinman, president of Tufts Democrats, said that one of the group’s main goals for the upcoming semester is to shift their focus toward statewide politics.
“We’re definitely thinking about broadening our horizons to focusing on Massachusetts politics, but our message is the same as it has been, and our goal is to get students involved in politics,” Zinman said. “Having a Republican in the White House, especially someone like [President Trump], who is an instigator and a bully, is really going to light a fire under us to make us work harder than we ever have before.”
Chasya Cohen, a senior and co-president of Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts, said the meeting they had following the election was “somber.”
Katie Nelson, a junior and the other co-president of Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts, said that Trump’s presidency may encourage more people to consider abortion-related issues.
“People oftentimes don’t think about abortion, because we had a Democratic president who supports abortion,” Nelson said. “There obviously was, and is still, so much work [to be done].”
The club leaders described how they want to expand their reach on campus and engage new members.
Putlack wants to address what he sees as a “wider cultural issue” with negative connotations surrounding Republicans.
“We really need to change the minds of people to not be afraid of being associated with us,” Putlack said.
Putlack said one reason he has enjoyed being a leader of Tufts Republicans is the opportunities it has given him.
“It’s nice to chat with people I agree with, and it’s also opened up opportunities to chat with people I disagree with,” Putlack said.
If the change in administration encourages more political engagement on campus, Zinman said, it would benefit both Tufts Democrats and Tufts Republicans.
“I think if we have more Democrats getting involved, and we have more Republicans getting involved, that’s good for both sides because when we hear the other side’s viewpoints, we get to the right answer more often,” Zinman said.
In addition to reaching out to more students on campus, Tufts Republicans and Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts noted specific events that they hope to implement this semester.
“We typically try and go to [the Conservative Political Action Conference],” Putlack said. “I went two years ago. I would like to try and go again.” The Conservative Political Action Conference will be held in Washington, D.C. this year.
According to Nelson, Planned Parenthood Action at Tufts hopes to plan an event “on the effects of state abortion bans on maternal health and maternal health outcomes” with Maternal Advocacy and Research for Community Health, another student-led group at Tufts.
Additionally, the group hopes to support the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund with a fundraiser, Nelson said.
“We want to have fun events too,” Zinman said. “The goal is to get the opportunity out there … just so that we get a larger crowd of people to show up.”
In addition to campus advocacy, the Tufts International Center is aware that the Trump administration’s policies could impact international students and staff due to potential travel bans and nullification of student visas.
“While the International Center is not aware of any certain or imminent changes that would impact our students and scholars, we are cognizant of the speculation surrounding potential changes to the immigration landscape,” wrote Anna Garson, director of the Tufts International Center, in a statement to the Daily. “Our office has been working with stakeholders and leadership across the university to make sure that we are preparing for and staying informed of developments, if and when they occur.”
