Whitworth students’ response to the presidential elections on Nov. 5 proved to be a wide range of emotions, leading to a mixed atmosphere on campus. However, students most consistently reported feelings of apprehension and anxiety.
Whitworth counselor, Maja LeBon, spoke to this emotional response, saying that leading up to the elections “there has been a lot of anxiety [from students] regardless of the outcome of the election. Just fear and anticipation of what will happen.” LeBon furthered on Nov. 6, the day after the election, that there “has been an atmosphere more of just grief and uncertainty. People not necessarily wanting to talk directly about the outcome of the election, but just feeling heavy.”
Junior Sam York reinforced this statement when he spoke about his communities’ conversations leading to the election as “frustrated, a bit scared, and [having] lots and lots of anxiety.”
York said that he would best describe his emotions after the elections as “optimistic, hopeful and excited.” However, like most students, he remarked that leading up to the election there was a lot of stress and anxiety in the community, “mainly among my friends and classmates. I have been a bit stressed too, but I decided not to think about it too much.”
Not allowing themselves to think too much about the election proved to be another theme among students.
Freshman Ian Markusic noted that many students sat directly below the election broadcast in the cafeteria saying that it was “because it would make it harder to look at because they didn’t want to see the election results. So, I think a lot of people are apprehensive to even think about it.”
Senior Niraj Pandey spun a new light on the idea of political avoidance saying, “most people are very apathetic to it like they just don’t really care […] we can feel sad about [election outcomes] but I think for most of us here, it’s not going to really impact their lives.”
Pushing back on the idea of apathy, sophomore Owen Ronningen said that the conversations he heard around the elections were towards “seeking community” and that on election night “we had people all across the spectrum who came [to watch the election together], and we were all very respectful of one another […] we ended up just kind of being there and being with each other.”
Whitworth has acknowledged these mixed feelings and reactions with the elections offering a message and resources for students. Whitworth President Scott McQuilkin and ASWU President Isaac Price put out a video with the message calling for students to enter conversations with humility, to support each other and to remember our common humanity.
The campus ministry staff led an election day prayer in the chapel. This prayer was led by Lauren Taylor, a campus pastor, who called for empathy, unity and humility. She prayed against violence and to love your neighbors, reaching beyond political disagreements.
Other ways that Whitworth has supported students included an event hosted by the counseling center and primetimes. The counseling center event was called “Exhale to Inhale” and aimed to create a space for students to “de-stress from election angst” with an available counselor on site. The election primetimes were held across campus by RAs and aimed to foster conversations around political values and commitments within resident hall communities.
During election week Whitworth has made an effort for campus to be a place where conversations and community can come together while acknowledging the tensions and fears students may be experiencing.
