Election debrief flier Designed by the Xavierite; template provided by Canva
On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Office of Inclusive Excellence hosted an election debrief in the Wiseman Student Lounge. The Office hosted a meeting where students could come and talk about their thoughts on the election results with the board members.
Exactly one week after the Presidential election, Saint Xavier University (SXU), promoted the discussion throughout its various Posting Zones as well as The Den.
Camilla Marquez, Faculty Development Coordinator for the Office of Inclusive Excellence, shared her own thoughts about the election results. “I have lived in several blue states throughout my life, and since we live in Chicago, we live in a bubble.”
Marquez went on to state that she wasn’t surprised about the election outcome, however that didn’t stop her from holding out hope.
Another board member, Karen Salgado, Multicultural Specialist, explained that she worked as a poll-worker for her local poll station. “I was in disbelief; I don’t think it will hit me until January.”
Salgado stated that she believed the Country was asleep for the past four years, and this new administration will allow people to be more politically alert.
Imelda Macias, Ph. D., and Vice President for the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Hispanic Serving Institute (HIS) Initiatives, shared her own strong thoughts on the outcome. “The Latino male vote is what gave Trump his presidency. I think that is so striking because of everything that he stands for. How could they vote for him?”
The rest of the Office of Inclusive Excellence board agreed with Macias. “Trump is against Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives, so I think this will begin to affect so many people emotionally. This is why events like this are important,” stated Macias.
Though the event was posted throughout the school, only a handful of students attended the event. When asked about the low attendance, Camilla Marquez chimed in saying “we don’t care about attendance. We offer these events so that students know they are supported, regardless of who shows up. We think these events are important.”
Marquez talked about the upcoming semester events for the office. “We want to provide more events for women and women-identifying students of SXU.”
Many women within the SXU community have expressed their fear for the future under the Trump-Vance administration.
Carly Cardinal, student, shared her fears. “As a woman, I was saddened to see the results of the election. It makes me scared for the future of our country and of our lives,” Cardinal explained.
Student Development Specialist Blanca Correa shared her personal feelings about the election. “I have an eight-year-old daughter, and I had to explain to her that Trump had won. She was so involved and concerned for our country as an eight year old. I couldn’t believe it.”
When asked about if she thought this outcome would have negative effects on the community, Blanca stated that she was worried especially for the women students at SXU.
Due to SXU’s undergraduate students’ program being made up of more than 63% female/female-identifying, the issue of reproductive rights became a topic of conversation amongst students.
Trump’s administration plans to end access to medicated abortion, which accounts for 60% of abortions in the U.S., according to US News.
Salgado stated that their office plans to collaborate with Registered Student Organizations like Political Science Forum (PSF), the Education Club, and the Psychology Department in the upcoming semester. “We want to create events for students to double down on their mental health. We want to include free food, movies, and crafts.”
President of the PSF Morgan Ulanowski stated that the post-election panel that the RSO’s listed were planning to host in Nov. will now be rescheduled for next semester.
Another student that attended the debrief was student Melani Robles. “As the daughter of two immigrant parents, I am distraught and scared by the results of the 2024 election,” Robles added.
The Office of Inclusive Excellence stated their events are always open to Latino students affected closely by the results of the election.
Trump told CBS News that his administration, if elected, “will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.” This has left many students scared and distraught.
For more information and support, please contact macias@sxu.edu.