Despite Divided Politics, SMC Students, Administrators Unite in Cayton Center
At just past 8 p.m., everyone in the Cayton Center stood in suspense as they speculated on the outcome of the election. Both students and administrators were in disbelief with how close the polls were.
While the numbers were still being counted and the electoral votes began to add up for each candidate, President Jeffery said, “I think it is very close and it is very difficult to tell who will win. I know whom I’d like to win. Right now, my preferred candidate is not leading in the way that I’d like to see. I just think it’s too close. It’s too close.”
What bothers Dr. Jeffery about Donald Trump is his lack of knowledge and preparation.
“One candidate had clarity for some time. Another candidate has clarity if they are reading from the teleprompter, and somebody else writes the script,” said Dr. Jeffery. “That won’t be very helpful when some key decisions have to be made down the line, because you won’t always have a script to read from.”
Another aspect the SMC President highlighted is Trump’s lack of experience. Dr. Jeffery compared her role as a president and how important practice was before assuming her position at the college.
John Macito (left) and Naveed Jadmani (right) await the election results at the 2016 presidential election result viewing party in the Cayton Center in the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica, Calif on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2016. Amina Swallah (left) watches the results of the election at the 2016 presidential election result viewing party along with her friends in the Cayton Center in the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica, Calif on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2016. The Associated Students of Santa Monica serve pizza to fellow Santa Monica Students during the 2016 presidential election result viewing party in the Cayton Center in the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica, Calif on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2016.
“I think experience counts in most jobs. Experience should count in the presidency as well. I had to be experienced to get my job as president of Santa Monica College. The same has to apply, certainly, for the seat in the oval office, where someone is going to lead a country, like the United States. Experience matters.”
As Dr. Jeffery finished her interview, a Trump chant started off at the Cayton Center as a practical joke, but as the elections went on, the chants got louder and louder as a handful of Trump supporters joined in.
At the helm of the Trump chant, was Sascha Martinelli, a 24-year-old SMC student not shy about his political views.
“I’m actually quite surprised they are the candidates. I don’t think either of them is qualified. Hillary in the past ten years has done an awful job with foreign relations and she tends to side with the crowd she is speaking to,” said Martinelli. “She portrays what they want to hear and I don’t think as a presidential candidate that is a good trait to have.”
Calling them “equally bad candidates,” Martinelli does not think Trump is qualified to be the ideal president. However, he does believe Trump has the connection with the right people. Martinelli added, “Trump is an arrogant moron. However he is very good at bringing the right kind of people around him to get the job done. And that’s also why he has maintained his billions and that’s why his companies and his advancements in business have happened. He is not stupid in the type of people that he brings around him.”
President of the Associated Students, Terrance Ware Jr., also agreed that both of the candidates were not his favorites. When asked whom he voted for, Ware did not hold back on his views.
“Trump is not insane, but he is not sane. I respect that everything that he says is how he truly feels, but ultimately he is not a politician and he is not the person who I can see leading this country,” said Ware. “He has the mindset of an eight year old. His temperament is just really bad. No support there.”
Walther Perez, Associated Student Director of Instructional Support, chants “Proud to be,” as the cowd of Santa Monica Students replies “SMC” to help rally the crowd of election viewers together during the 2016 presidential election viewing party is underway in the Cayton Center in the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica, Calif on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2016. The Associated Students of Santa Monica College offer cupcakes decorated in our nation’s patriotic colors are ready for Santa Monica College students to enjoy in the Cayton Center in the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica, Calif on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2016. Terrance Ware Jr., President of the Associated Students of Santa Monica, makes an announcement to the mass of students that the Cayton Center closes at 9:45pm towards the end of the 2016 Presidential election viewing party. Sascha Martinelli studies astrophysics while watching the presidential election results at the 2016 presidential election result viewing party in the Cayton Center in the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica, Calif on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2016.
While Ware highlighted Trump’s lack of personality and capability to lead this country, he took a more personal approach when addressing Clinton. Ware expressed his concern on Clinton’s lack of involvement on the African-American community and her choice of words, which have not been forgotten by him.
“And as far as Hillary Clinton, her track record in politics is just not helping my community or me in any way, shape or form. And I still can’t get past the fact that she called blacks and Latinos ‘super predators’,” said Ware. “I didn’t vote for either. I wrote in Bernie Sanders.”
Despite not supporting any of the two candidates, Ware knows that Sanders is an unrealistic choice. When asked who he thinks will win this race, Ware answered by telling us his personal view.
“My honest answer is I think Trump is going to win. I don’t want Trump to win. I hope Trump does not win, but I do honestly believe that Trump is going to win. And I believe that because of what the numbers say and because of currently what we are watching outside.”
As the Cayton Center closed at 9:45 p.m., students left in anger and disappointment being that the election was far from over.
“It’s like we are watching a soccer game and it goes to penalty, and we cannot watch the penalty,” said Ali Miyajan. ”Now I have to go [find somewhere] I can watch it.”
Some students did not bother with the search and set up a laptop just outside the Cayton Center. Close to 20 students gathered around to continue watching Trump pull away from his competition.
Ware expressed his concerns with not Trump himself, but his supporters and people who believe in this movement.
Ware said, “The thing that scares me the most, at least, is that his movement is not going to die out. Those people are still going to continue to speak their truth and my worry is how they are going to express that truth.”
Students outside of the Cayton Center look on in disbelief as Donald Trump wins the Presidential Election and becomes the 45th President of the United States