Angelina Godinez ’28
Staff Writer
Waking up on Nov. 6, 2024 brought a familiar sense of fear upon many students at Mount Holyoke. For me, it reminded me of how my brother and I slept on the floor of my parents room on Nov. 8, 2016, and woke up the next morning to our mom telling us Trump won. I remember the cries of the unknown we let out that morning, of confusion. We were sad, but why? At the ripe ages of 10 and 11, all we were aware of was that President Donald Trump hated us. Little did we know, those who silently mourned alongside us, invisible to our juvenile consciousness, would become his supporters in 2024; those who forgot the previous fear instilled in our daily lives all for “cheaper gas.”
With a sweep in both the Electoral College and popular vote, minority groups — previously and currently targeted by Trump's campaign antics — shifted their support in the hope of change, refusing to acknowledge how this so-called “win” for a stronger economy will in fact bring loss to many. Now, being much older and having an understanding of what a second Trump term means, a similar fear surrounding equality and safety is instilled in me, emphasized by being hours away from my family. There was not much for me to do but text my family, do my makeup and continue with classes. A feeling of sickness lingered within the depths of my psyche all day. In a place where I already feel ostracized, how would this bleeding target on my back continue to grow?
I woke up wondering if I should schedule a dreaded appointment with a local OBGYN, in fear such a process might be much more complicated in a few months. Should I remove the Mexican flag sticker on my iPad, once placed proudly, that can now make me a victim to ignorant projection and misplaced dissatisfaction with the U.S. government? My skin, that I used to wear proudly and have learned to love, has turned against me as thousands of Latinos voted to enable mass deportation, border violence and policies endangering those of Mexican descent residing in America.
This feeling of uneasiness followed a majority of students for the next 24 hours. Regardless of election results, many students demonstrated resilience and continued to voice their frustrations as a way of coping with the loss of autonomy. Instagram was one of the first platforms that informed me of Trump’s overwhelming win and return to the White House. Aside from the constant CNN notifications or the New York Times article that greeted me with “The Morning: President Trump, Again,” there was an abundance of posts and reposts by students at Mount Holyoke.
While I will not name specific students or posts with identifying information to protect individuals’ privacy, I did notice a distinct pattern in the posts being shared by Mount Holyoke students. Whether it was voicing their fear and frustration, reposting others’ opinions or urging supporters of Trump to unfollow them, students did not hesitate to share their thoughts. Popular political informants and “advocates” on Instagram, such as “So, Informed,” “Impact” and “Mattxiv,” create easy-to-understand posts on current social justice issues and promote general political awareness participation. It was posts like these that students liked, commented on and reposted to amplify their message.
On social media, students refused to betray what Vice President Kamala Harris, in her concession speech, claimed was “the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best.”
Despite the positive influence social media can have, I have some concerns about students’ comfort online. As election campaigns’ newest, most prevalent platforms are now social media based, it is not uncommon to spark political conversation with the swipe up of a story. Users even have the luxury of leaving an anonymous hate comment on someone’s post, behind the comfort of one’s screen. A similar sense of comfort is evident in people’s unbothered ability to post death threats towards those who voted for Trump, similar threats towards Trump himself and, in general, posting radical opinions that will forever be visible as part of one's digital footprint.
The ability to appear anonymously on Fizz, delete a post or hide behind a screen all allow one to get carried away and stray from political advocacy, or political wokeness, mirroring what Harris warned against. According to Harris in her concession speech, “A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny.” With this, it is important that violence is not the answer to election results or your peers’ political beliefs. To act this way is to act similarly to radical political opponents.
Students and fellow voters for Harris must continue to instill this drive to fight for freedom and equality in a way that is just and legal, as opposed to the concerning calls to bring back assassinations or guillotines, as I saw some posts read. Students can do this by getting involved with their local politicians. As students are away from home, mailing in letters is a possible form of advocacy as well. Continuing to advocate peacefully for what you believe, keeping your head up during a peaceful exchange of power and taking care of yourself are essential in the fight for equity, freedom and our future. After all, it accomplishes far more than an angry post on social media would.