College students have a voice | The Triangle

College students have a voice

Fibonacci Blue: Flickr
Fibonacci Blue: Flickr

The presidential inauguration is just days away and we all know how we all feel about that. Happiness, anger, sadness, whatever the emotion may be, this election has left quite a mark on all of our lives.

Throughout the entire election, college students were very involved. We staged protests, rallied for our candidates and made sure our voices were going to be heard among all of the political chaos throughout the media.

Yet, it seems that our power has been completely underestimated and forgotten about. College students are often typified today as being “too sensitive,” and especially have been since Trump’s victory. Many colleges across the U.S. cancelled classes and even enacted “safe spaces” for students affected negatively by the election results.

Because of this, our voices and opinions are often stifled and we are accused of being too entitled or too emotional.

Meanwhile, I am just proud that we have a voice. We are a highly educated generation of students. We all grew up in an age of rapidly advancing technology, where several social and political barriers have been torn down. More are being torn down at this moment as we await the official inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Therefore, I, a college student, am here to offer my voice during this time. Throughout the election I did not support Trump or his politics. I tried to use my voice to advocate against him winning the election, but clearly, he did.

Now, what I and all other students must do is use our voices to create change for the better. We have to be heard at some point; all we have to do is advocate for what will improve our lives and keep social and political progress moving forward.

A great way to begin having your voice heard is through volunteering for or donating to charities and organizations that are important to you. They are important in creating progress in society while promoting giving back to the community. Some may need some extra help from us after Trump’s administration gets comfortable in office.

If all college students dedicated their voices to helping organizations that are in jeopardy under a Trump presidency, such as Planned Parenthood, we could help create positive change in our society. We would also be making it clear to Trump that we, the future leaders of the country, have strong values and high expectations for the man that will lead — or not — for the next four years.

I want nothing more than for Trump to be a fantastic president. Although I might not have thought he would be a suitable president, I also would never wish failure for the country. We need an optimistic leader to create nothing but progress in the U.S. and all around the world, and who will be resilient through any tough times that we may encounter.

As the inauguration approaches Jan. 20, let’s all see this new presidency as an opportunity for our voices to be heard once more. College students have the smarts, the stamina and the strength to make these next four years full of progress.