Disbelief. Fear. Amazement. As Trump's lead in the presidential election last night grew, eventually resulting in a win, Duke students watched in shock as they went through a range of emotions. Here, they shared their thoughts one day after the surprising results.
"We're still processing the effects. I was completely surprised."—first-year Joanne Zheng
"[I'm experiencing] so much shock, disbelief at what has happened. I'm also hoping people who voted on either side will validate and recognize the pain people are going through. I'm hoping empathy can arise from people regardless of who they voted for."—sophomore Grace Cai
"It was disappointing to wake up to. It feels surreal. The natural first step is denial, that was kind of me this morning. I keep thinking—does he even know how to be president?"—sophomore Francia Fang
"I watched Trump's victory speech, and he used the same adjective to describe everything. His diction is not presidential, it feels so elementary. It just didn't sound right."—sophomore Nathan Keene
"I was just shocked. It attests to how much of a bubble we have here at Duke. I didn't have any doubts [Clinton] was going to win."—sophomore Kendall Clay
"There's so much sadness, seeing the fear people are living in now. It's a wake-up call to the racism and sexism that still exists. That's really disturbing."—sophomore Alli Fisher
"I didn't want to believe this was going to happen. I feel like this is indicative of a broader social problem. The silent majority that voted for Trump and the fact that we couldn't reconcile the establishment with the group that voted for him is troubling."—sophomore Dylan Penny
"Today I felt similar to how I did in high school when I found out that my best friend had been killed in a car accident. I never thought in a million years we could be here. I feel like the place I've lived in for 19 years is not the place I thought it was."—sophomore Morgan Fears
"I'm pretty sure everyone, especially on college campuses, was shocked. He started to win Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina. Around 10 p.m., people thought that he could really win."—sophomore Neil Wu
"Everyone is very scared and confused, even people who halfheartedly supported Republican policies. If anyone slept well last night, I congratulate them."—sophomore Emily Davis
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