Student Perspectives on the Trump Presidency: Montclair State Views

Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the presidential election was met with conflicting emotions at Montclair State University, where students expressed heartbreak as well as joy. As Trump took office in January 2017, the campus remains deeply divided on our nation’s future and what a Trump presidency might mean for its students.

Located just 13-miles west of New York City in the North Jersey, Montclair State has a highly multicultural student population of over 20,000 students, and has been recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), highlighting the University’s strong commitment to providing diverse populations access to affordable higher education.

At Montclair, many of Trump’s detractors have expressed fear and outrage –demonstrated in a number of campus protests—leaving many feeling betrayal by a nation that supported a candidate with hostile policies towards immigrants, gays, women, and other minority groups. While his supporters, who appear to be far out-numbered on campus, have been less vocal and seem to be taking a wait-and-see attitude.

After emotions subsided in the weeks following the election, students in Professor Thomas Franklin’s Multimedia News Production class set out to survey the campus community to give students an opportunity to express thoughtful and informed opinions on Trump’s election. They selected a broad range of students and staff members, with divergent backgrounds, to reflect on the country’s future, as well as their own.

Montclair State Views was an ambitious project –completed entirely in just five weeks– produced and directed by 15 students, under the advisement of their professor, Thomas E. Franklin. They quickly mobilized,  chose a project idea, formed teams, elected class officers, and embarked on a wide-range multimedia endeavor that utilized all the tools they learned over the course of the semester, such as; video, photos, words, online surveys, Facebook Live, and social media. They then created a dedicated Facebook page as the platform to deliver their finished project, in hopes of reaching a broader audience, driving engagement, and encouraging conversation and dialog.

As part of the finished product, the team produced 13 individual videos, and photo gallery, an online survey, a series of Facebook Live videos, and a vibrant Facebook page.

*It should be noted that the Facebook page was launched at the very end of the Fall 2016 semester, on December 22, 2016, just as the vast majority of students had already left campus for winter break, therefore limiting engagement and traffic to site. Now that the spring 2017 semester has resumed, students will do a re-launch in hopes of driving further engagement.

This was truly a team-oriented project, and this entry should be credited to the entire class. However, the following students were the team leaders and their names should be noted:

Editorial Staff:

Dayonara Link –Editor
Krista Cerminaro -Writer
Xena Gonzalez –Web editor
Nick Richiusa –Video editor
Tess Reynolds –Social media and survey editor
Amanda Richardson –survey editor
Aleksandra Mufcesca –Picture editor

Contributors:

Ryan Long
Natasha Vega
Heather Rivera
Aleksis Prosuk
Kimmie Devereax
Kyvann Gonzalez
Sarah Kiely
Kevin Rabinal