RISE
THE UNDERGROUND
#NOTMYPRESIDENT
Students Rally for #NotMyPresident Protest, “Will not be Silenced” TRUMP'S SUPPORTERS
On why America will be great under Donald Trump
THE SIGNS OF PROTEST
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THE
UNDERGROUND Editor's Note RISE magazine started this summer with the intention of being a semesterly e-magazine, showcasing the diversity of Penn State's student body. We’ve called the magazine RISE after American writer Maya Angelou’s famous poem Still I Rise, a declaration of triumph over adversity. This poem serves as a reminder of our commitment to social justice and community. The only way to overcome hate, oppression and injustice is if we rise – together, unified and with strength. After such a polarizing election that took a toll on so many members of our student body, we decided to make a special edition showcasing the #NotMyPresident Protest that took place Tuesday night. Our hopes are that these images and stories can be a source of healing now. inspire. create. advocate.
RISE
ADRIANA LACY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
#NOTMYPRESIDENT BY ETHAN PAUL
At 12:30 on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, a mass of Penn State students, faculty, and community members gathered for a rally held on the steps of Old Main. The rally, organized and led primarily by two students, Nadia Souada, a Journalism - major, and Alexis Scott, a Nutrition Science and Dietetics Major, was in protest of the recent election of Donald Trump, whose Presidential campaign was arguably underwritten and driven by more xenophobic, racist, sexist, ableist, and Islamaphobic rhetoric than any candidate in modern Presidential history. The rally kicked - off when the primary organizers and participants, all holding a variety of signs representing a variety of causes and movements, marched onto Old Main chanting “ Not my President! ” Nadia and Alexis, leading the march, each held signs expressing their personal sentiments. Nadia ’ s read “ Donald Trump Go Away! I ’ m Muslim Queer and Here To Stay! ” Alexis ’ s message, while simpler, was, maybe for that reason, far more chilling: “ I ’ m Terrified ” . Others read “ Make America Safe Again, ” “ Climate Change IS Real, ” and “ Let Us Not Grow Weary ” . All represented a powerful and unflinching rebuke of Trump, his supporters, and his policy agenda.
The marchers aggregated in front of Old Main and continued to chant with a moving intensity. As the chants came to an end, leaders began to speak, telling their personal and often heart - wrenching stories of what it is like to feel unwanted, disliked, or even hated in your own country. Nadia, a third generation immigrant and gay Muslim, talked about how, since she first chose to wear her hijab at age 9, she has faced consistent verbal and physical abuse. Beaten down and mentally - drained by the constant feeling that “ I was going to be attacked again, ” she chose not to wear her hijab once she came to Penn State. Nadia had thought that a Hillary Clinton victory would serve as a stern rebuke of Trump ’ s racial and religious bigotry, and that her little sisters, as a result, would not have to struggle through the same alienating discrimination and hate as she had. While Secretary Clinton did win the popular vote by a margin of nearly 1 million, as well as the Millennial vote, by a margin of 18 % , offering some hope for a brighter, more inclusive, and more united future, Donald Trump still won the election ; Nadia was shocked.
“THE NIGHT THAT TRUMP GOT ELECTED PRESIDENT, I COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND,” SHE SAID, FOR HER INABILITY TO BEAR HOW “SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS SO MUCH PAIN [COULD] RISE SO HIGH”.
The night that Trump got elected President, I collapsed to the ground, ” she said, for her inability to bear how “ someone who represents so much pain [ could ] rise so high ” . All of the bullying, discrimination, and hatred that had followed Nadia throughout her life, merely for the color of her skin, the God she prays to, and the people she finds attractive, was now manifested in her next President, and would be disseminated and encouraged, across the broader populace and especially the young, by his willingness to embrace it. Nadia, in the face of such an unwelcome and discouraging reality, promises not to be apologetic “ in the faith that I practice, in the people that I love, and in the culture I hold dear ” . “
After a few other speakers shared their story and perspective, the crowd began their march to the HUB, again chanting “ Not My President! ” This crowd, marching together, was not merely comprised of one race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual identity, or gender - identification: Black females marched alongside White males, gay Muslims marched alongside straight atheists and bi - sexual, trans Christians.
These individuals did not expect to get Donald Trump to resign, nor did they necessarily expect to change the minds of the few Trump supporters in attendance. Instead, they wanted to communicate, to the Penn State community and the rural, primarily White Centre County populace that, regardless of Alexis expressed similar strength, courage, and pride. background, we are here together, standing in Flanked by some of her friends, supporting her as she support of each other, and that if the President Trump began to tear up, Alexis discussed her choice to attempts to substantively translate the rhetoric he organize the rally because she was “ tired of looking used on the campaign trail into action, we will still be for people to effectively represent me and defend my here, and we will fight, together. rights ” , a “ really unfortunate ” reality. While Trump ’ s America, and the harm it could potentially do to a variety of minority, underrepresented, and underprivileged groups, scares Alexis “ more than anything ” she was “ so glad that she ’ s not alone in this, that she ’ s not the only one who feels helpless ” . The crowd gave a powerful “ Wooo! ” back to Alexis, reaffirming that she was, indeed, supported.
DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM RISE
THE SIGNS OF PROTEST Hundreds of students gathered at Old Main Lawn to protest Donald Trump. Here is their work. 57
THE SIGNS O F PROTEST
THE SIGNS O F PROTEST
THE OTHER SIDE
LOVE TRUMPS HAT By ADRIANA LACY While students gathered at Old Main Lawn to protest the presidency of Donald Trump and to express their frustration with the political system , a few students gathered for a counter protest in support for President - elect Donald Trump .
A few days before the official # NotMyPresident protest , there was buzz on social media regarding a counter protest from students involved in the campus club the Bull Moose Party a . k . a We Are For Trump , a special interest organization with the goal of electing Donald Trump . While the organization said that the counter protest was not a sanctioned Bull - Moose Party event , many of their members showed up in the classic red ' Make America Great ' hats along with signs supporting Trump . For Kevin Fenchak , a sophomore studying history as well as a member of the Bull - Moose Party , he came to the protest to see what the other side had to say and to offer a different perspective .
We ' re out here to show people that there is not this mass consensus on campus . People on the left like to believe that they ' ve reached total consensus and they ' re the only ones with valid opinions , especially on college campus . They [ democrats ] like to shut down opposing viewpoints , " he said . "
After observing the rally , Fenchak summed up the rally in one word : ridiculous . If you ' re a US citizen , then Donald Trump will be your president . Saying that he isn ' t the president , what ' s the point ? , " he said . " Because he is . You don ' t have to like it but if you don ' t accept that fact , you ' re factually wrong . " "
In addition to the rhetoric of the protestors , Fenchak disagreed with the way that Donald Trump ' s character has been painted in the media . A lot of the stuff that they ' re saying , that he hates xyz groups of people , that ' s ridiculous . He doesn ' t and there ' s not evidence for that , " he said . " What makes him homophobic ? Has he ever said anything against gay people or black people ? "
Has he ever said anything like that ? And they won ' t be able to give you an answer because it doesn ' t exist . " Tyler Goop , a freshman majoring in supply chain and political science acknowledges the differences that the two viewpoints have , but believes that the Bull - Moose Party will be a unifying piece going forward . We ' re going to try to do a lot of public service projects to unify the community as well of the country , " he said . " We ' re going to go out and do some second amendment rallies and try to go forward and bring the campus together . " "
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