Campus, News

CSULB students and staff talk Trump and ‘moving forward’

Organizations on campus held a discussion called “Moving Towards Hope” Thursday with students who feel discouraged by the election of President Donald Trump, who has already signed several controversial executive orders during his first week in office.

The event took place just one day after a student’s report that the men’s restroom in the Liberal Arts 5 building had been vandalized with the message: “Wetback lives don’t matter.”

The Educational Opportunity Program organized the event in partnership with the Dream Success Center, which works with undocumented immigrant students.

“It’s a safe space discussion,” said Alexandria Cordon, senior associate director for EOP. “The main priority of an event like this is to provide a space for students to speak their truths about the political landscape we’re in now.”

A safe space is “a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm,” according to Google.

The attendees gathered in the LA-1 building at 12:30 p.m. where they first watched a video of a 15-year-old poet encouraging people to “rise up together as one.” Posters hanging from the ceiling displayed slogans such as “We the people defend dignity” and “There is nothing more urgent than freedom.”

The topics discussed ranged from mental health issues associated with marginalized groups, coping mechanisms and how students can help.

“At first I didn’t know what to expect, but I think the message was very clear,” said senior finance major Carlos Rivera. “Everybody here wants to come together. It tells me we all have different perspectives but we also have a lot in common, and that brings us together, and that makes us more powerful as a community.”

Irma Corona-Nieto, assistant director for EOP, said she is aware there are critics of “safe spaces” on college campuses.

“People say, ‘Oh they’re such babies,’ but this process has helped students voice their concerns,” she said. “There’s a lot of expressions of frustration and feeling uncertain about their future.”

Some students at the event opened up about being undocumented, and they feared the new administration would put an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — an immigration policy started under the Obama administration that protects some undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children from deportation.

The policy also allowed qualifying applicants of DACA to obtain renewable work permits that last up to two years.

Event organizers encouraged the students to come up with suggestions for ways they could support each other and reach out to their communities.

“Everyone is talking about what Trump is going to do in his first 100 days,” said EOP director John Hamilton to the group of students. “I’m asking you, what are you going to do? What can we do?”

Participants suggested calls to political representatives, more rallies, volunteer work and involvement with on-campus organizations.

Students and staff watched Michelle Obama’s speech about the “power of hope” at the end of the discussion, creating a mood was both somber and optimistic.

“Even if you’re fearful, take these resources we said and take that next step,” Cordon said to the students. “Remember that, while in the ‘60s and ‘70s there was great change for the betterment of society, that still has to happen.”

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