{"id":6974,"date":"2017-08-29T08:33:02","date_gmt":"2017-08-29T12:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/?p=6974"},"modified":"2017-08-29T08:33:02","modified_gmt":"2017-08-29T12:33:02","slug":"straw-poll-cas-new-students-speak-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/2017\/08\/straw-poll-cas-new-students-speak-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Straw Poll: CAS New Students Speak Out!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"photo<\/a>(a few replies from the new student convocation straw poll)<\/p>\n

During the New Student Convocation, we asked our new students to answer some questions in a straw poll — we conducted this poll the old fashioned way, with index cards and pens!\u00a0 The answers were very illuminating.\u00a0 Below is a summary of the answers and some select comments from the cards:<\/p>\n

Question about Meeting with President Trump<\/h2><\/span>\n

Question:\u00a0 If you had the chance to meet with President Trump for five minutes to discuss an issue that is extremely important for you and your families, what would that issue be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

IMMIGRATION and related issues (DACA, deportations, The Wall) was the overwhelming answer — 105 out of 221 replies, or 47%<\/p>\n

RACISM, Police Brutality, Islamophobia, Women’s Rights and related issues was the next largest category — 39 replies or 18%<\/p>\n

Other topics included Healthcare, Education, Free College, North Korea, threats of war, peacebuilding, human rights, transgender rights, environmental protection, jobs, Russia, Venezuela, taxes, minimum wage.\u00a0 A number of answers also were critical of the president’s behaviors.\u00a0 Our newest Trinity Women are watching and they are not happy with what they are seeing in the leadership model the president presents.<\/p>\n

On the immigration issue, these are some of the typical comments:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A number of comments pointed out that immigrants came here because they believe the United States is a great country and they want to contribute to it:<\/p>\n

“I would talk to him about not ending DACA because DACA is the last option some students have to further their education.\u00a0 I would talk to him about not discriminating against a certain group of people just because of where they came from.”<\/p>\n

“I would ask him why he wants to kick out so many productive members of society.\u00a0\u00a0 So many of us came here because we believe this is a better country…”<\/p>\n

“I would focus on immigration and DACA rights.\u00a0 I would strongly state my opinion on how we people of color deserve to be given an opportunity to accomplish a dream and a chance to live in a country where freedom should not be denied to anyone.\u00a0 Our parents struggled to give us a better life, and our parents still struggle to provide everything to us.\u00a0 Immigrants aren’t here to steal anything but to better ourselves.\u00a0 Dreamers only want to be able to contribute and provide for their families.\u00a0 No matter the obstacles he throws at us, we will fight for our rights; we will not let him bring us down.”<\/p>\n

“If I could meet with Donald Trump, I would tell him that this racism has to end, all this hate that he’s bringing to this world cannot be tolerated.\u00a0 My family and I are so tired of being treated differently because we’re immigrants.\u00a0 We’re tired of hiding and feeling like we don’t belong.”<\/p>\n

“I would tell him that there is no way the U.S. can make it without immigrants.\u00a0 I also now that there is a small percentage that represent us badly.\u00a0 But that doesn’t mean that we all are like that.\u00a0 Since he is a business man he knows that having us here is a great boost to the economy.”<\/p>\n

“I would encourage President Trump to work toward making amnesty possible for hard-working families.\u00a0 As stated in the Declaration of Independence, our inalienable rights are ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ ”<\/p>\n

“We all have the right to a better future.”<\/p>\n

“I would ask why he feels the need to mistreat people who want a better life for their families.”<\/p>\n

“I would discuss ‘the wall’ he is trying to build to keep immigrants from entering the U.S.\u00a0 It is a waste of time and money.”<\/p>\n

“This country was founded and built by immigrants.”<\/p>\n

Many comments pointed out that deportation is breaking up families, which goes against family values:<\/p>\n

“Respect and support family values, keep them unified and not separated.”<\/p>\n

“Families should not be separated.”<\/p>\n

“I would ask him why he took my family away.”<\/p>\n

Questions about Monuments<\/h2><\/span>\n

\u00a0Question 1:\u00a0 Should monuments to Confederate leaders be taken down?\u00a0 (total respondents 219)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes:\u00a0 70%\u00a0 (n=154)
\nNo:\u00a0\u00a0 25%\u00a0 (n=56)
\nDepends or no opinion:\u00a0 5% (n=13)<\/p>\n

Sample reasons:<\/p>\n

“No, because although it [Confederate monuments] has a very bad connotation, it is a part of history that people should be able to talk about… it is a reminder not to go back.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“No, because it is part of American history.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“I don’t think they should be taken down because they are history and people deserve to know what they have done to this country.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“Yes, Confederate statues should be taken down because they no longer represent what America stands for.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“Yes, Confederate monuments…were meant to be constant reminders of racism and division.\u00a0 Although part of history, they have no place on the streets and instead should be placed in museums.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“Yes the Confederate leaders should be taken down and put in a museum so we do not repeat the same mistakes.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Question 2:\u00a0 If you could organize creation of a public monument recognizing one person in history who you admire a lot, who would that person be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Barack Obama – 60 votes
\nDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – 18 votes
\nRosa Parks – 18 votes
\nMichelle Obama – 12 votes
\nHarriet Tubman – 10 votes
\nAbraham Lincoln – 4 votes
\nMalcolm X – 4 votes
\nNelson Mandela – 3 votes<\/p>\n

Many other notable figures received votes for monuments including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Pope Francis<\/td>\nJohn Lewis<\/td>\nMadam Walker<\/td>\nSojourner Truth<\/td>\nMother Theresa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Billie Holiday<\/td>\nSonia Sotomayor<\/td>\nBeyonce<\/td>\nOprah<\/td>\nTrayvon Martin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nannie H. Burroughs<\/td>\nBenito Juarez<\/td>\nPaul Walker<\/td>\nNina Simone<\/td>\nChuck Brown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whitney Houston<\/td>\nZora Neale Hurston<\/td>\nPocohantas<\/td>\nCesar Chavez<\/td>\nSelena<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bernie Sanders<\/td>\nTaraj P. Henson<\/td>\nAngela Davis<\/td>\nMarsha P. Johnson<\/td>\nMarion Barry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ghandi<\/td>\nSimon Bolivar<\/td>\nDick Gregory<\/td>\nMaya Angelou<\/td>\nMalala Yousafzai<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gabby Douglas<\/td>\nStevie Nicks<\/td>\nEmmett Till<\/td>\nEleanor Roosevelt<\/td>\nFrida Khalo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dorothy Dandridge<\/td>\nMichael Jackson<\/td>\nAmerigo Vespucci<\/td>\nSr. Ann Kendrick<\/td>\nPrincess Diana<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Later this week, I’ll be sending out a straw poll to the entire Trinity Community to get your input on the critical issues of these historic times.\u00a0 Meanwhile, if you’d like to comment on the new student poll, please share your thoughts in the “comment” box below.<\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter @TrinityPrez<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New students in the College of Arts & Sciences speak out in our straw poll conducted at the opening convocation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,24,26,29,30],"tags":[1066,1873,1732,1872,1681,1336,227,1485,358,1734,368,1874,1745,501],"class_list":["post-6974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-social-issues","category-social-justice-issues","category-trinity","category-women","category-womens-leadership","tag-climate-change","tag-confederate-monuments","tag-daca","tag-deportation","tag-donald-j-trump","tag-dreamers","tag-immigration","tag-police-brutality","tag-poverty","tag-president-trump","tag-racism","tag-transgender-rights","tag-trump","tag-womens-rights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6974\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitydc.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}