Penn's campus was visibly shaken after the presidential election — here's what it was like at nearby colleges

1968 Wharton graduate and President-elect Donald Trump’s surprise victory sparked mostly disappointment and conflict on Penn’s campus — but other nearby college campuses didn’t necessarily have the same reaction.

At Penn, on the Wednesday following the election, some professors cancelled classes and postponed exams, and in a meeting with administrators, students were visibly upset over Trump’s win. That Friday, freshman students of color were unwillingly added to a GroupMe filled with racist messages, prompting protests and a solidarity march.

At nearby Lafayette College, the campus was divided; many students felt frightened by the results while others were celebrating. Louise Olson, a sophomore studying psychology, said that she was surprised by the visible division among her peers.

“There were students who went out of their way to disrupt peaceful and silent protests,” she said. “A friend of mine who openly supported Hillary Clinton had drinks poured on her and the phrase ‘build a wall” screamed at her when she went out to a bar later that week. The strong, almost violent, support for Donald Trump and the lack of respect towards students with different opinions displayed on campus was really just shocking to me.”

Olson described the atmosphere on Lafayette’s campus as generally “scary” but added that many of her friends who voted for Trump were willing to engage in polite discussion about their differing beliefs.

At Swarthmore College, students and administrators emphasized open discussion following the election. Swarthmore junior Joaquin Delmar said that when several swastikas were found in gender-neutral bathroom stalls, the entire campus was appalled, on both sides of the political spectrum.

The reaction to the results was not quite as dramatic at larger Lehigh University, only a twenty-minute drive from Lafayette College. The student body is politically diverse, but the campus maintained an overall focus on making sure everyone felt comfortable, according to one student.

Lehigh sophomore Caroline Weisstuchsaid that while she doesn’t think Lehigh is a very political campus, the reaction following the results was appropriate. After Election Day, students organized a silent rally to show support for minority students and a march that included faculty, staff and students.

She added that students who supported Trump felt comfortable wearing their iconic red hats without comment from peers.

“We were never going to burn things or protest wildly in the streets,” she said. “I did see the campus come together in a way that I never had before.”