On Nov. 8, 2016, Americans around the world waited with baited breath to see who would become the 45th United States president: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. At Moravian College, most of the students and faculty stayed up late into the night to discover the results of the Electoral College.

“I know things are going to change, but I’m hoping for the best. I’m hoping he doesn’t completely repeal ObamaCare because it is helpful for some people,” said a student who wishes to remain anonymous after they learned Trump is the new president. Anonymous was originally a Clinton supporter because they felt Clinton has experience and is better fit to run a country, but if Bernie Sanders had gotten the Democratic nomination, they would have voted for him.

Sara Weidner, ’18, was also a Clinton supporter. “I’ve been following the election and I knew stuff about both candidates, and in the end, I cast my vote to Clinton because I think she would have done a better job of running the country than Trump, even though the [e-mail server] scandal made her untrustworthy,” she said. She added that when it came down to Trump or Clinton, she wasn’t a true supporter of either and believed others felt the same.

Weidner also said that in recent appearances, Trump carried himself well and felt that if he continues with this demeanor, things may not go as poorly as people fear.

Samantha Schmidt, ’17, was a Trump supporter. “I hoped that Trump would win so that America would change,” she said. “I thought that Obama and previous presidents that I recall didn’t change that much; they were more Congress’ puppets. I think that Hillary would have been the same way, but with Trump […] I think that he will change things. Not saying for better or for worse, but change in general.”

When asked how she feels now that Trump will be sworn into office, Schmidt said all of the protests against him anger her, along with the fact that no one is stopping them. Schmidt said she felt if Hillary were voted in, nobody would protest, partly because she is a woman and protesting against her  would be seen as anti-feminist.

It appears that the majority of people interviewed would re-do the election and have different nominees if that were possible. However, being that this isn’t possible and the country is divided over Trump’s presidency, students interviewed felt that there were a few ways that people — and the Moravian College community, in particular —  can come together in the midst of uncertainty and fear.

Weidner felt acts of kindness are most important right now. “Be kind to one another; promoting any small act of kindness is what the world needs; not this hatred and unjustifiable behavior and discrimination towards one another,” she said. “In the big scheme of things, we’re just specks, so do we really matter all that much? It’s not that hard to be kind to one another while we’re here.”

Weidner also said the email sent out by the history department, which announced that it was providing a safe space for respectful discussion, was a step in unifying the college community.

“We need to see past that he’s our president and see that we are American and one country, not just Democrats or Republicans,” said Anonymous.

The students I interviewed said they felt that now is the time for everyone to be on the same side that people should educate themselves on not only Trump, but also on the United States’ political system and policies in general. This way, the public can make a more informed decision during the next election.

Schmidt said that uniting behind Trump and not focusing on dividing issues, such as race and gender, could help bring people together. She felt that Moravian College has been doing a good job of unifying the community since there have not been any hate crimes committed on campus.

However, she did add that some professors keeping their political opinions to themselves would be beneficial. She stated that one of her professors kept the class late to explain how Trump will pull funding from  scientific research.

In the end, talking bridges the gap and will be more effective and unifying than violent acts. The popular opinion appears to be that Moravian College should continue having discussions and allowing everyone’s voice to be heard.