In light of last Tuesday’s Election results and subsequent events, California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), President Ellen Junn has sent out a student- and faculty-wide email.
This email, with a subject line entitled “Encouraging Campus Unity,” addressed concerns some may have regarding the safety of our campus.
Since the official presidential election results, students have expressed increased feelings of uneasiness regarding the future of our nation.
“I was set with the expectation of feeling pride after leaving this election,” Corey Kirk (senior, Communication Studies) said, “but now I am scared of what direction our country will be going down.”
This Wednesday in the Stan State quad, a rally will be taking place as a response to the presidential election results, beginning at 11 a.m.
The “Solidarity Rally” is not intended to be an anti-Trump rally, but instead a peaceful event for the purpose of sharing opinions and welcoming diversity.
“If there is one thing I learned from this election, it is how divided we are as a nation and how we need someone to help us come together.” Shannon McCall (senior, Communication Studies) stated.
Speakers at the rally will consist of Stanislaus State’s own students speaking on topics including current political events, the Dream Act (DACA) and shared testimonies. 
The three organizers of the Solidarity Rally are Stan State students Silvia Chairez, Mario Pineda and Fernando Hernandez.
The idea for the rally came about when the three met in the quad following the election and began a discussion about the protests taking place at Universities of California and California State Universities.
“We thought that we should do something as well because we feel our campus is politically silent,” Chairez said.
The rally organizers soon pursued plans for the event and met with the Dean of Students, representatives from the University Police Department (UPD) and faculty from the Student Learning Development (SLD) Office.
“They told us that their goal was to help us have the most successful event possible,” Chairez said, “We discussed what we had in mind for the event and they gave us great advice and ideas.”
Over the course of the week, universities across the nation have had to deal with a number of racially charged incidents of student harassment born in the wake of election day results.
For instance, throughout the campus of Texas State University, fliers were posted up that read: “Now that our man Trump is elected, it’s time to organize tar and feather vigilante squads and go arrest and torture those deviant university leaders spouting off that diversity garbage.”
With similar events and related behavior occurring at numerous other campuses, a domino-like effect appears to be taking place. Just a few of the other schools that have been affected include Wellesley College (Hillary Clinton’s Alma Mater), University of Michigan, Duke University, York County School of Technology and San Jose State University.
“I want to let everyone know that our University takes any such interactions very seriously,” Junn states in her email.
“If you have been or become involved in any such interaction, we need and want to know.”
She encourages anyone who has felt attacked in similar circumstances, or in any case, to submit a report to StanCares.
Junn is confident, though, that Stan State is an environment that provides a welcoming community for all. 
“Our main goal is to unite our campus,” Chairez said, “We do not want anyone to feel alone during these hard times.”
For more information or questions regarding the Solidarity Rally, please contact the rally organizers at the following emails:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]