A group of students discussed Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election and what it means for the U.S. at the Freedom Formal event held last Friday.
The event was held by Turning Point USA, a non-profit organization that promotes conservative values. The formal ran from 5-9 p.m., and it included catered food, a photo booth and music.
Jonathan Shanks, a Turning Point USA field representative and event organizer, said the purpose of the event was to provide students the opportunity to enjoy themselves and take their minds off the election and finals.
“We wanted to have a fun event where everyone could celebrate their shared love for the United States and meet more people,” he said.
Several attendees of the event participated to meet like-minded students and share meaningful political dialogue. One of those attendees was Michael Gibson, a sophomore zoology major.
“[I’m here] not only to celebrate Trump’s victory, but also to see if there’s some people who are less argumentative,” he said. “I was able to have multiple different conversations just at that table over there; it was pretty good to say the least.”
Gibson said he voted for Trump based on policies and his Christian faith. He added Democrats don’t concern themselves with the middle class and sound economic policies.
“There’s been a giant shift in liberal policies where they’re now focusing on gender ideologies and [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion],” Gibson said.
Another student who attended the event was Isabella Harter, a senior zoology major. She was also hoping to meet and connect with fellow conservatives.
“I’m always looking for events since it’s really hard to be a conservative on campus,” Harter said. “Especially after the election where everyone’s treating it like such a big sad thing, and I’m just tired of it.”
The event also brought alumni back to campus like John Dunham who is a former aeronautics major and was invited by a friend to attend the formal. Dunham considers himself a centralist and didn’t vote for Trump. However, he is still hopeful and supportive of a successful term.
“I don’t hold any ill will towards anyone, so I hope it’ll go well,” Dunham said. “I didn’t have my hopes up at the beginning, but now that he’s president, I’m fully supportive of it.”
Gen Z voters were a detrimental factor in Trump’s victory this election, and part of that was due to the efforts from organizations like Turning Point to educate students about conservative views. Shanks said Turning Point chapters across the country helped register thousands of voters prior to the election.
“One of our goals is to empower young conservatives to get involved in politics,” he said. “We don’t tell them who to vote for, but we want them to get involved, take a stand and ultimately, register to vote and voice their opinions.”
John Engoglia is a beat reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
