Duke students anxiously tuned in to the election coverage Tuesday night across campus, from the Sanford watch party to common rooms to Perkins. Here's what they said about the night's events:
“I’m going to be deported. I feel like I should pretend to be a very conservative Russian now to be safe.”—first-year Darya Andreichenko.
“I’m shocked. I honestly thought this election would be a landslide. It shows the importance of each vote; in some places the difference has been a couple hundred or thousand votes.”—first-year Divya Juneja.
"This is a big day in American history. This is yuuuuge as Donald Trump might say. I mean I just think it’s a testament to the silent majority coming out and taking back our country... I’m as giddy as a schoolboy right now."—senior Brady Jackson.
“I’m scared because I’m Mexican, Iranian and female, so everything Trump represents is a threat to myself and my family.”—first-year Leila Milanfar.
"I'm just terrified about what a Trump presidency would be like."—senior Jeff Feng.
“I’m stressed. I don’t know why we have a midterm. I’m just afraid, I hope it’s all a joke."—sophomore Damilola Oke.
“It started out as a joke but I really think Trump might win. It’s scary that he’s a pretty xenophobic guy coming in.”—first-year Nalini Gupta.
“No one anticipated the massive turnout of low educated white voters. Who could have guessed that he would have won Ohio by 10 points. I sincerely hope that the optimistic assessments of some of my fellow Republicans come true in the sense that he would be some sort of ceremonial head of state and let his cabinet and Vice president run affairs.”—senior Adam Lemon.
“The United States probably has the strongest institutions of any country to keep a president from getting out of line. Our job now is to uphold those institutions.”—junior Aron Rimanyi.
"I can't believe we elected a literal rapist to the white House."— senior Dana Raphael.
“I think this election is a great representation of how diverse Duke is. It’s also very pivotal in the direction our country is going in. It’s a good thing Duke students are so involved in this election.”—first-year Roman Romero.
"What I would say to the people who are distressed tonight, mostly Clinton supporters, they should have thought about a more reasonable candidate. The way people over emotionally reacted to this event. People were crying, people were a mess. Well, I mean this is politics. There is going to be a winner and a loser."—senior Hans Riess.
“I’m worried to be a woman in this country.”—senior Meredith Davin.
“I’m really scared right now, I don’t even know what to say. I’m scared for my family and myself.”—first-year Jose San Martin.
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