Four days after Donald Trump’s reelection, NYU’s Student Government Assembly announced that it will continue to prioritize open communication within the university community by holding “workshops, programs and resources” aimed at mediating political divides.
In a Saturday statement, the student government said it believes in “the importance of constructive dialogue and respect for differing viewpoints.” The SGA encouraged students to stay civically engaged and invited them to process the election’s results “thoughtfully and openly,” directing students to several nonpartisan, discussion-based events in the coming weeks.
SGA chair Angela Chou said the statement is intended to promote an inclusive and respectful environment on campus. Chou said the election likely raised particularly high emotions because it addressed “protecting students’ rights, what students are really passionate about and what future generations will have.”
“Considering that students actually have the ability to vote, it has a profound impact on our futures and this generation’s future,” Chou said in an interview with WSN. “We knew that this is something critical and important to our student body.”
Ian Askie, vice chair of the Student Senators Council and senator at-large for Black students and student workers, said the committee would have responded similarly regardless of how the election ended.
NYU has claimed that it practices “restraint” by only taking stances on political events when deemed necessary. Kevin Hu, the senator at-large for international students seeking employment, also said that it is important for the SGA to address students’ grievances without alienating any individuals.
“It’s not a political statement — just in case any student doesn’t feel aligned to the mainstream liberal views of NYU, we don’t want to exclude them,” Hu said. “What we are saying is that we want diverse voices and we want to react together as a community.”
In response to President-elect Trump’s victory, students at NYU’s Washington Square and Brooklyn campuses reported feeling disheartened and confused. The day after the election, members of NYU’s chapter of Students for a Democratic Society joined dozens of demonstrators from other New York City colleges to protest Trump’s win and criticize the U.S. political system.
Ashlie Oxford, graduate student and senator at-large for student activists, said had always planned for the SGA to release a post-election statement encouraging students to speak up and support each other. Oxford emphasized the importance of political neutrality, citing that the student government represents more than 60,000 students with varying ideologies.
Later this month, Oxford is hosting “Oppose & Propose: A Conversation,” for students to criticize NYU and offer suggestions for change — an event she hopes will happen more often in the wake of a new U.S. presidency. The SGA will also host a Nov. 20 panel featuring speakers from both ends of the political spectrum as part of NYU’s “In Dialogue” series, and has already held multiple sessions for students to reflect on post-election emotions.
“Your voice matters, no matter which side of the political aisle that you’re on,” Oxford said. “We don’t have to agree with you as individuals, but we do need to give you that space to share — and that’s what SGA is doing.”
Contact Liyana Illyas at [email protected].
