In the last Student Senate meeting, the senators and class presidents had the option to vote on an exteremely important email for the college. This email addresses the recent changes made by the Trump administration, specifically those which affect college students. 

This email was bland, uninspiring, and incredibly disappointing. It read like a corporate email trying to appease both the people who agree with Trump’s policies and those affected by his policies. 

When a senior senator mentioned that the original agreement for the email was to specifically address the fact that trans and non-binary students, the senate parliamentarian and a member of the equity inclusivity and belonging committee brushed them off. They claimed that an email addressing all students would be better than that which validated the identity of students at the college. However, this conversation quickly deteriorated into a fight around playing which-minority-has-it-worse. 

This is absolutely ridiculous. No other group has been told they don’t exist, have not existed, and will never exist. Senate should be able to recognize this. 

I’d like all the senators who did not vote to send a second email directly and only acknowledging trans and non binary student’s right to exist to consider this quote from Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor: “I do what I do, because it’s right! Because it’s decent! And above all, it’s kind. It’s just that. Just kind… Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand, is where I fall.” 

Senators, choose where you want to fall.  

While this email was a first draft, it blatantly shows what senate chooses to acknowledge, and more importantly, what they will knowingly neglect. I hope to see change between this draft and the next, but I know that this draft will guide all future ones.