We appreciate President Favazza's outreach to our campus community regarding the widespread concerns about Donald Trump’s visit to campus. Our petition is consistently growing in size as the word spreads to more students, faculty, staff, families and friends. It is imperative that the individuals in positions of power listen to those who are directly affected by the outcome of their decisions.
Many Saint Anselm College students are not only disapproving of the reprehensible legitimization of Donald Trump that will happen if our college gives him a platform, but as President Favazza mentioned we are also scared - not necessarily of Donald Trump himself, but of the crowd he attracts. The harm they can cause has been seen time and time again, from their attack on the capitol, to their harassment of former Saint Anselm students in 2016.
While President Favazza recognizes that all of our concerns are credible, he dismisses them by arguing that Trump "is not only the former President but also the current frontrunner in the Republican presidential race" and a "major candidate for president" therefore we must let him speak. While we have great privilege in our tradition of hosting presidential candidates, we have an accompanying responsibility to our nation, and our community. This decision legitimizes Donald Trump's candidacy and associates the Saint Anselm College name with Anti-American and hateful views.
While this may not be a Trump rally, his widely publicized presence on our campus will still attract a crowd. For example, despite the limited capacity of President Trump’s event at the Doubletree on Elm Street, large crowds – larger than the size in attendance at the event – gathered due to their knowledge of President Trump’s presence. The Dana center is in the middle, the heart, of our campus and this commotion and chaos will be extremely disruptive and potentially dangerous to students who live here – especially those who belong to marginalized groups. We must reflect and learn from the past. We must not allow history to repeat itself – both here on the hilltop, and nationally.
We are at a moment when the college can choose to support its students, whose home is here on the hilltop. Students who will be preparing for their first day of finals on May 10th. Who will be anticipating their commencement ceremony. And who come from marginalized groups and have previously experienced the hatred that Trump’s rhetoric fuels. By supporting this movement, the college can make history and prove to past, current, and future students that the safety and academic success of the student residents here on the hilltop is the top priority of our college, above all else - including money and press.
The college can act in this moment to show that Saint Anselm is a safe space for individuals all across the political spectrum to come and learn, without fearing retaliation or violence. Knowingly attracting a crowd of supporters of Donald Trump does quite the opposite, and it will be extremely disappointing.