With social and news media being as prominent as they are, it is virtually impossible to avoid news surrounding the new president. With many Colorado State University students having participated in an election for the first time in 2016, it is no wonder that the students here have some strong opinions regarding President Donald Trump.
It has been over two weeks since Trump was sworn into the office of the President of the United States of America, and much of what he has done so far has been highly controversial. Nearly every single action he has taken has garnered support from those loyal to his cause, but it has also drawn negative attention from those who oppose him. Here at CSU, the situation is no different.
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On campus, we have seen demonstrations in support of several communities including students of color and immigrants that have expressed discomfort about his actions. On the other side, we have students on campus who are quite fond of his actions and take to such demonstrations to share their opinions.
During the campaign season, Trump was highly criticized for making outrageous promises, but students like Caspian Banki recognize that he has fulfilled almost all of his campaign promises already.
“Every day is like Christmas,” said the fifth-year sociology major.
Banki is not alone in his support for President Trump. Hannah Smith is fond of some Trump’s decisions—though she is not so sure about the President himself. One policy of Trump’s that she appreciates is his decision to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“It’s a hard issue because I want to have the best care possible, but national healthcare is not the best way to do it,” said the sophomore accounting major.
Other students, like Andrew Vanden Broeke however, are upset about the repeal.
“My mom has Crohn’s disease and if Obamacare is repealed, [she] may never have health insurance again,” said the junior human development and family studies major.
President Trump’s infamous plan to build a wall along the border of the United States and Mexico receives a mixed reaction from students as well.
“I strongly doubt that the wall will be an effective deterrent of immigration into our country,” said junior psychology student Mahira Ganster.
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“I want the wall,” said business administration student Michael McAlpine. “And I want it as big as possible!”
Perhaps Trump’s most notable decision as of yet was the immigration ban, which caused immediate controversy, and even today, Trump and his team are fighting hard to maintain it. Student Gracie Singer agrees that it should be instated and believes that those who oppose it should reconsider their viewpoint.
“Obama did something similar,” said the sophomore apparel and design major. “And he came up with the list of seven countries.”
On the other hand, Helen Abbey felt that the decision was foolish.
“At this point, I would trade one Donald Trump for 10,000 refugees,” said the sophomore social work major. “This country was built off of immigrants.”
Of course, Trump’s cabinet picks have stirred up some controversy as well. Students like McAlpine believe that they are all “solid picks.”
“Trump and his board are crippling this country,” said senior biology major Karen Serrano, adding that she “can’t even begin to imagine the turmoil that will unfold for the next four years of his presidency.”
While it may seem off-putting that President Trump has divided the student body of CSU so vastly, there is an upside: some campuses across the nation do not exhibit the political activism that we do here. Students having the will and ability to disagree is a symbol of our freedom, and despite much debate in recent weeks, it is essentially what makes us American.
