By: Katherine Waters, Staff Writer
On the morning of Nov. 20, thousands of people—Wofford students included—were greeted by patriotic banners and oldies music as they filed into Benjamin Johnson Arena to hear Donald Trump speak. Before this day, however, the news of Trump’s visit caused controversy in the Wofford community. One student explained why Trump could generate so much tension.
“Racist, sexist and xenophobic hate speech is not in alignment with the values promoted by Wofford College,” says Senior Peyton Proffitt of Trump.
Chris Paschal, vice chair of the Wofford Republicans, said that even students who do not support Trump would attend the event to become more informed on presidential candidates in general. However, the presence of community members in the audience would increase the amount of support for Trump and the opinions presented.
“I haven’t looked at the numbers for Spartanburg County, but I think the Upstate has a pretty strong contingent of Trump supporters. When we open up to people from Spartanburg, you have another kind of dynamic within the room, so you could have some people there that are more educated than Wofford students, but you also have some that are less engaged in the political aspect. You’re probably going to see more boisterous opinions than from Wofford students.”
In addition to Trump’s talk, another GOP candidate, Ben Carson, is scheduled to appear at Wofford on Dec. 3. Joe James, a Wofford senior and democrat, thinks that Trump is a more controversial candidate than Carson.
“Trump is more known for his xenophobic and anti-immigration policies, and his appeal is more carnal compared to Ben Carson. I think that the problem with Trump is that he is more overtly anti-immigrant and that is his brand, so to speak, and that’s why more people are annoyed with him even though Ben Carson has his own problems.”
Both candidates have caused controversy simply because of their affiliations. Many students are upset that two Republican candidates are going to speak at Wofford when there are currently no Democratic talks planned. Some students organized a walkout against Trump, leaving before he began his speech.
“To me, attending the ‘town hall meeting,’ without engaging in embodied action or active protest, was passive support of Donald Trump’s campaign. I did not wish to validate his speech with my physical presence, and furthermore, wanted to explicitly oppose his visit,” says Proffitt, one of the students who walked out.
“The reactions I received prior to the walkout surprised me most,” Proffitt adds. “I was shocked at how quickly student protestors were met with negative responses from our peers. Our proposed walkout, and the things we were hoping to demonstrate, were immediately attacked and undermined by those proclaiming our action was not in alignment with ‘The Wofford Way.’ Early on in organizing, the idea of a walkout and the students involved were quickly vilified and the action was pushed underground. These discussions and sentiments made it difficult to reach out to others, identify collective struggle, and embrace collective action.”
Despite the discourse among students about Trump’s visit, many students showed up to the event, along with the visitors from the Spartanburg community and surrounding areas. Paschal said that the primary purpose of the appearance was to educate attendees on Trump’s political views, and that having him on campus would be beneficial overall.
“I think that the student body is going to be just as engaged as it should be. Wofford students want to go out and be as informed as possible, and I think it’s great for students to see the political side of it.”
