Students weigh in on Anti-Trump protests effectiveness

<p>Anti-Trump protests in the United States after the election of President-elect Donald Trump&nbsp;have taken to the streets of New York City, Atlanta, Chicago and many other cities. With the increase in violence&nbsp;across the&nbsp;country, some students are questioning if the protests are really that affective.&nbsp;<i style="font-size: 14px;">Patrick Calvert // DN File</i></p>

Anti-Trump protests in the United States after the election of President-elect Donald Trump have taken to the streets of New York City, Atlanta, Chicago and many other cities. With the increase in violence across the country, some students are questioning if the protests are really that affective. Patrick Calvert // DN File

Anti-Trump protests around the country have sparked conversations between students about whether or not they are effective.

Shortly after learning who the victor was in the presidential election, many took to the streets in New York City, Atlanta, Chicago and many other cities, jeering and rioting others in the crowd.

With an increase in violence around the country, some students are uneasy about these protest, while others have a different point of view.

"I think the Trump protest are kind of childish," TJ Beltavski, a freshman biology major said. “ I feel like if you really want to make a difference you should go out and vote.”

RELATED: Anti-Trump demonstration takes over University Green

Beltavski said that protesting, making signs, and claiming that Donald Trump is not the protesters president doesn’t change anything.

“I feel like if you really wanted to make a change, you should have gone out and voted and it showed that most millennials didn’t go out and vote so I think that you’re not in a position to protest when you weren’t apart of the solution,” Beltavski said.

In contrast, Hanna Norman, a freshman architecture major, said she understood why people we protesting.

"I feel their anger," Norman said. "We have to face the challenge that is now upon us and  learn a lesson from this whole situation."

Recently, protesters gathered at the Indiana Statehouse where seven individuals were arrested and are now facing charges. Out of the seven who were arrested, four were from surrounding counties of Indianapolis.

RELATED: Students protest president-elect in Indianapolis

 "Anyone should be able to speak their mind and protesting is just a form of doing that," Nolan Givans, a freshman pre-medicine major said.  

LaDon Cannady, a freshman fashion merchandising major, said she felt like there is "no harm being done" with the anti-Trump protests and that people are simply trying to get others to realize that Trump "isn't not stable enough to run a country." 

"We are people, not a business," Cannady said. "I feel like if people keep protesting, then maybe Trump will soon realize he needs to change his ways of thinking or else this country will go down hill." 

Emily Fitch, a freshman animation major, also said that she hopes the Trump administration does not "ruin" all that the Obama Administration has achieved in the past eight years.

“I understand the meaning behind the protest because of the president that we got, but that’s kind of how it is every year," Fitch said. "Even though people are afraid he is going to cause large problems I feel like we shouldn’t start protesting until he actually causes a problem."

Fitch also said she believes people should have faith in Trump now that he is in office because "he seems to be taking it seriously."

“For heavens sake, he might actually do something right," she said.

However, there are a handful of students who did not know that individuals were protesting against president-elect  Donald Trump.

Shelby Joyner, a freshman news major, said she wasn't aware, but was also not sure about whether or not the protests are effective.

"I don't even know there were actual protests," Joyner said. "With that being said, I don't think they are effective because how are people getting informed about the protest? The more people know the better the turn out, which will mean the more effective it'll be."

Although Ball State students have mixed feelings, protests are continuing to pop up around the country, with the latest in Washington D.C.

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