How did this happen? The question went unanswered, as an already gloomy day, overcast and foggy, was aggravated by the sullen silence on campus. Seldom for a few sobs, little was to be heard on the grave morning of November 9. Now President-elect, Donald Trump, had just won an unexpected victory in the Electoral College. Even teachers found themselves unable to maintain resolve, one student describing that her own teacher “burst into tears mid-class.” Simultaneously, some at Hackley had a more optimistic outlook for the future of the school and Union, though their response was less obvious in the community. Despite this, Hackley seemed to be suspended in a freefall of denial following the election.

When anonymously asked their opinions on the outcome of the 2016 presidential election and Trump’s victory in a Dial poll, many students simply replied, “I am shocked,” or “I am saddened.” This somber outlook was commonly held, as upwards of 70% of the student body expressed support for Secretary Hillary Clinton. One student commented, “I think it’s interesting whether people at Hackley realize that they live in a bubble and shut out other opinions, that are active in social media bubble where they are told they are right and are supported. They never face someone with a differing view and thus can’t fathom these other opinions.”

This disbelief in the capability of the nation selecting Trump, combined with the fear for minority groups that had been targeted by his campaign, fueled much of the dismal attitude that permeated the school that morning. Another student explained, “I honestly felt a little betrayed because of how people hid behind their fear of being a Trump supporter and gave false hope that Hillary was going to be President. But it also shocks me that America could vote for a racist man who said rude and crude things about people and they just look over that.” More students concurred, stating, “To be honest, I really thought Hillary would win in the end because of people’s opinions around me and especially my friends who are mostly Hillary supporters.” Another recalled, “I was so shocked about the election that I burnt my tongue drinking tea the morning I heard the results.” Students that had grown up in the sanctuary of the Hackley community awoke to a startling dose of reality on November 9.

As to the future of the nation, many students expressed deep concern. One worried, “I probably cried more in the 24 hours after the election than I ever have before. I am so afraid for the lives and rights of people of color, the LGBT community, women, Muslims, immigrants. I cannot believe hate won.” Another student asserted, “In one of my classes on Wednesday, every single one of us burst into tears. Every. Single. One. The outcome has caused so much damage already, and he isn’t even President yet.”

Understanding that their community is based on mutual friendship and inclusion, students and teachers alike were terrified that this prospect may have jeopardized the nation at large; one student believed that “all the progressive movements that have been made in the recent years will almost immediately be revoked by a hatred-inciting, racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, sexist pervert.”

Some students, however, had opinions ranging from hopefully optimistic, to enthralled with the results. One expressed, “The liberal media and government never addresses the struggles of the statistically common man and thus Trump was born. People are finally beginning to realize that the promises of liberal fiscal policy does not work…America is finally making its own decisions according to their own beliefs, which right or wrong, is the foundation of this democratic republic, equal representation under the federal government. In addition, this is being made into a total race issue that is just not there. Trump’s comments on illegal immigrants and terrorists were somehow changed to encompass all Mexicans and Muslims.”

Another expressed desire for change, yet did not advocate for Trump’s presidency, commenting, “We will now see the Democratic Party undergo a complete renovation towards better representation and policies and people more supportive of the middle and working class. Meanwhile, however, we will see many regressive policies be passed before the midterm elections.”

Hackley’s overall response, however, was one of despondence. A community’s idealism and desire for integration were shattered by the election of a candidate they named a “demagogue” and “racist bigot.” Some students simply, “just felt broken” by the outcome. One student responded, “We’re moving into a new era of post-factual democracy, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.”