Protests can come with a negative connotation and can be thought of as mindless acts of violence. However, most protests are not like this at all, and certain students at CHS are very much aware of that fact. On Thursday Nov. 10, two days following the presidential elections, a peaceful protest took place at CHS in central quad during lunch. This protest was led by the Black Student Union Club (BSU) with the assistance of AMP Global Youth, Gender Sexuality Alliance Club (GSA), and the Feminist Club who were were in support of the community and the waves of emotions that were being felt in response to the election results on Nov. 8.

For some, the turnout of the election had come as a surprise, and an unwanted one in their opinion. This could be largely felt during the BSU meeting that took place the following day in room 105, where the meeting was both a discussion and a consolation. Shortly after, the BSU was contacted by several other clubs who urged the need for an in-school peace protest. The protest took place with a very positive tone and result according to CHS senior and BSU co-president Kamaria Jordan. Jordan had hoped that the protest would be able to channel the emotions that were fueled directly from that Tuesday’s events. In addition to the direct effect of the ultimate uplifting that took place, she noted the other resonances that occurred as a result.

“The BSU is always open to anyone no matter who you are or what you look like; we want everyone to feel welcome. It is definitely a safe haven where you can come and express your opinions, and we just really want to be a positive, uplifting voice on campus,” Jordan said.

All of the clubs aforementioned were represented at the protest, but in addition to this, there were many voices heard. The main goal of the protest was overall felt as a sense of community, a coming together to show that unity and diversity can be achieved simultaneously. The other co-president senior to the BSU, Kikesa Kimbwala, along with a few more CHS students, had attended several other protests in addition to the CHS protest. These include that of the University of La Verne, the Claremont Colleges, and in LA.

“Mainly, I was looking for some kind of relief or source of hope because as a representative of social justice groups on campus, I know how many people feel misrepresented and targeted by Trump’s rhetoric, and I know that the results of the election instilled fear and hopelessness in a lot of people,” Kimbwala said.

The weeks following the election provided more opportunities for discussion during BSU meetings including more discourse over topics of unity and the ability that was achieved to utilize those empowering emotions to accomplish goals and take action. Jordan wanted the protest to show this unity and to point out to everyone how there are groups on campus that are willing to  hear students out.

“The protests [Kimbwala attended] were almost a support group in which people of all backgrounds showed solidarity on the grounds of a common frustration, which was immensely empowering,” Kimbwala said.

Although creating unity and a feeling of security amongst many, the protest and anger felt towards the election of Trump was not felt by all. This is clear, as he was elected for president, but a student at CHS had his own opinion about that protest that took place on campus and the repercussions it, and other protests could have.

”In many ways, I feel that the “protest” we had on campus was useless. Protesting President-elect Trump and all of the terrible things he stands for–homophobia, xenophobia, and misogyny–is something that’s extremely important and necessary for healthy discussion of America’s future,” junior Sanjar Junisbai said. “But for people to rally together and say that they aren’t going to respect his legitimate election is irresponsibly dangerous and sets a stark precedent for future elections and how upset voters will be able to react, as normalized by the 2016 election.”

Despite conflicting opinions and feelings, the co-presidents would like to spread awareness even more so than it already has and share the message that being stronger together is key. Plans for the future and progress of the past is another reason Jordan believes that each BSU meeting this year has been filled with representations from each and every persuasion. The protest in response to the election accomplished its goal of making voices heard and uniting a people.