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Freshmen Chiara Pride (left) and Quinn Bender (right),
hold their handmade signs
Photo by Katie Welch
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Armed with handmade signs and messages of equality, a crowd of more than 60 students and faculty gathered outside the CSI building on Friday afternoon for a peace rally, right after the sworn in of the 45th President, Donald Trump.
Many in the crowd expressed uneasiness about the inauguration. "I'm kind of mad," said Manveena Singh, a freshman studying business administration. "The feeling was completely off and different. There wasn't a sense of pride like previous years." Some students held small, colorful signs with anti-Trump messages, such as "There will be hell toupée" or "Make America Mexico Again".
Groups represented at the event included the TU Black Student Union, the Trinity University Latino Association and Tiger PRIDE. Conservative student groups Tigers for Liberty and Trinity Progressives also participated. Representatives from various groups addressed the crowd.
When the first speaker talked about the presidency, the crowd was silent, with only one lone audience member applauded the mention of Donald Trump.
"We have done everything in our power to prevent this day from happening," Bryan Felix, a guest speaker from the pro-Chicano organization Brown Berets, told the crowd. "But we are here. And where do we go now?"
Many of the speeches touched upon the history of discrimination in the United States and voiced students' concerns about the presidency. Hamza Adisa, a representative from the Muslim Student Association, spoke to the group about discrimination against minorities. He implored Trump supporters to stand up for others and make a difference.
Speakers also struck a hopeful tone, stressing the importance of bipartisan dialogue both on and off-campus.
"I think it's important that, whoever is taking office, we all as Americans have to come together," said Anna Delphina Morales, a sophomore and an organizer of the peace rally. "We all have to move forward together."
Another event organizer, Francisco "Kiko" Macias, a first year neuroscience major, urged students to set aside politics and find a common ground. "We set aside differences not to ignore them, but to respect them," he said. Macias’s grandparents were members of the Brown Berets in the 1960’s, and they inspired him to organize the rally.
Other speakers, including the co-president of Trinity Progressives Maddie Kennedy, a sophomore studying political science and Spanish, encouraged students in the audience to take positive action and volunteer with various groups off-campus in an effort to promote human rights during Trump’s presidency.
Dr. Sheryl Tynes, Trinity’s vice president for student life, attended the rally and saw it as a positive event. "This builds mutual understanding, and that is always a good thing," she said.
When the first speaker talked about the presidency, the crowd was silent, with only one lone audience member applauded the mention of Donald Trump.
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Guest speaker Bryan Felix of the Brown Berets
addresses the crowd
Photo by Andrea Acevedo
|
"We have done everything in our power to prevent this day from happening," Bryan Felix, a guest speaker from the pro-Chicano organization Brown Berets, told the crowd. "But we are here. And where do we go now?"
Many of the speeches touched upon the history of discrimination in the United States and voiced students' concerns about the presidency. Hamza Adisa, a representative from the Muslim Student Association, spoke to the group about discrimination against minorities. He implored Trump supporters to stand up for others and make a difference.
Speakers also struck a hopeful tone, stressing the importance of bipartisan dialogue both on and off-campus.
"I think it's important that, whoever is taking office, we all as Americans have to come together," said Anna Delphina Morales, a sophomore and an organizer of the peace rally. "We all have to move forward together."
Another event organizer, Francisco "Kiko" Macias, a first year neuroscience major, urged students to set aside politics and find a common ground. "We set aside differences not to ignore them, but to respect them," he said. Macias’s grandparents were members of the Brown Berets in the 1960’s, and they inspired him to organize the rally.
Other speakers, including the co-president of Trinity Progressives Maddie Kennedy, a sophomore studying political science and Spanish, encouraged students in the audience to take positive action and volunteer with various groups off-campus in an effort to promote human rights during Trump’s presidency.
Dr. Sheryl Tynes, Trinity’s vice president for student life, attended the rally and saw it as a positive event. "This builds mutual understanding, and that is always a good thing," she said.
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