Campus News

Inauguration watch party draws supporters, protesters

The event was displayed on the LED screen above the Student Center South Starbucks. | Julie Araica/ The Cougar

The Center for Student Involvement hosted a watch party in the Student Center South Friday, where students gathered to watch Donald Trump be sworn in as the country’s 45th president.

While many students harbor strong feelings towards the new president, many were indifferent, such as mathematics senior Elvis Alvarez who just hopes that Trump can do his job well as the new president.

“To be honest, I have no opinion over the inauguration,” Alvarez said. “Trump won the election, and he’s going to become president. All I hope is that Trump progresses America and makes it a better country by doing what is best for its economy and its people.”

While students watched the inauguration in silence, several students, such as communications graduate student Fabian Sneevliet, handed out fliers for a protest to take place later that day at Houston City Hall.

“Most of the people we’ve spoken to aren’t happy that he’s been elected,” Sneevliet said. “Most of the people we’ve spoken to are frustrated that this is even happening,” Sneevliet said. “Donald Trump is the most reactionary, racist and xenophobic president to ever be inaugurated.”

Sneevliet said that the protest would be one to unite the entire community against the new president and that such a force would be necessary for not just now, but for the entire duration of Trump’s presidency.

“I feel like it’s just a bad dream that I never thought I would see come true,” said mechanical engineering junior Stanley Ike. “I’m just shocked that the American people voted to elect this man after all of the stuff he’s done.”

Sneevliet, a member of Students for a Democratic Society said that Ike’s sentiment was one that many students shared.

“We are basically organizing the forces to prepare for the coming offensive,” Sneevliet said. “We want to make this country ungovernable so that when Donald Trump passes laws that attack certain groups of individuals, we want to be out in the forefronts of the streets.”

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