Trojans Confront Inauguration Day
By Grace Carballo ‘17
January 20 was a dreaded day for many Americans and an impactful day for all: the critical day when our twitter-rampant president-elect was officially inaugurated the 45th President of the United States.
Since Trump’s election in November, there have been many responses on campus to address the impending administration change. A letter to make USC a sanctuary campus called on USC’s administration to “ensure that our campus is a sanctuary for undocumented students, staff, and their family members who face imminent deportation”.
Undergraduate Student Government also voted to make USC a sanctuary campus with 11 of the 12 USG senators voting in favor of the resolution.
USC Provost Michael Quick responded with a memo reminding students that USC’s policies align with DACA, a federal policy that may change in the future under a Trump presidency. He also outlined USC’s new task force, which will advise him on ways to maintain a safe community for all students in response to changes in immigration policy and increased funding for the USC Center for Immigrant Integration.
“We will remain steadfast in our belief that everyone should have access to higher education,” Provost Quick wrote.
At 11 AM on Inauguration Day, many USC students, workers, and community members held a campus rally at Tommy Trojan. I was tutoring at the time and unable to join the many students participating in the protest walkout, but I did find a Facebook live video of some very impactful speeches by student leaders that I encourage you to watch if you also missed it. Crowds, with members of USC Forward and SCALE (Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation) gathered at VKC, despite the rain, to come together, demonstrate, and discuss.
Some key sentiments worth highlighting:
“The State will not save us but we will save each other.”
“Women’s rights are under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight back.
Black lives are under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight back.
Queer lives are under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight back.”
The speakers called for those in attendance to recognize and pay attention to the history of discrimination in our country and how this history continues to have ripple effects in our own university.
They also called attention to the people who are often unseen and under-appreciated who allow USC to be the beautiful, renown university that it is. They urged everyone to lift up and tell not only these untold stories, but also the untold histories of our nation and the people who truly built it.
With just a simple search of #TrojansVsTrump, I found a number of powerful photos of the demonstration on Instagram and an entire album on Facebook, all of which made me very proud of my peers who took action on a day when many felt powerless.
Other schools, like Price School of Public Policy, hosted Inauguration Viewing events and welcomed students to watch the peaceful transition of power, so celebrated in our democracy.
El Centro Chicano and other USC cultural centers hosted Alternative Inauguration Programming. This counter programming ran from 9:00 AM to 4 PM and included the “Lemons” episode of Blackish and Latino Americans PBS, a documentary series chronicling the varied histories and experiences of Latinos in North America.
Not all Trojans dreaded and/or protested the Inauguration. A few days prior, the USC College Republicans hosted John Thomas of “The Thomas Guide” to discuss the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency. “The Thomas Guide” regularly covered Trump’s journey to the White House and politics.
On the other side of the aisle, the USC College Democrats met for the first time this semester on the eve of the Inauguration (Thursday Jan 19). They also rallied in Our First Stand: Save Health Care a few days prior, with Senator Kamala Harris and other Democrats.
The election was divisive for many American families and the Trojan family was no exception. Evidently, there are many responses to Trump’s Inauguration and the reality that we are now living under a Trump presidency.
The important thing to remember is that the President works for us (We, the People) and we must hold him and all our elected officials accountable as they represent all of us, not just a privileged percentage of the population.
The Women’s March, which I will be posting about in a few days, was a very visible manifestation of the accountability we must demand of our elected officials. It was deeply empowering seeing so many of my USC peers marching together in Los Angeles (or more accurately- standing in the crowds so large marching was not feasible).
I am continuously impressed and inspired by my fellow Trojans and Inauguration Day (#J20) was no exception.
Fight On ~and don’t be a bystander~,
Grace Carballo ‘17
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