Election Taught Lesson in Politics, Value of Always Staying Active

As someone who is fiercely passionate about politics and social justice issues, attending a politically-active campus was a top priority for me. Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice that desire when I chose Villanova, as political activism takes a backseat for the university.
But after spending the first semester at Villanova during the 2016 election, it is safe to say that I was both pleasantly surprised and extremely disgusted in the mixed reactions across my typically apathetic campus.
Upon starting at Villanova, I did everything possible to ensure that I wouldn’t be lulled into a comfortable, apathetic, political silence. I joined every club that even remotely advocated for ideas and issues in the world that I was passionate about: climate change, gender and racial equality, religious freedom, and the like.
I was shocked when I realized that what ended up defining my first election wasn’t any of these groups, but instead being a part of a small, all-female choir.
I had the privilege to be one of a handful of women in my choir to accompany the Let Freedom Sing Girls’ Choir during Hillary Clinton’s final rally in Philadelphia.
It was breathtaking to be a part of thousands of unique citizens that were united together in support of one woman, in her attempt to make history in America.
I smiled the entire ride back to campus; Clinton’s mantra still rattling my brain, “When they go low, we go high!” The next morning, I got up at the painful hour of 6 a.m. and voted.
A rush of giddiness hit me when I saw the amount of Villanova students that were already waiting in line at the voting center. A little bit of that happiness was conjured up every time I saw an “I voted” sticker slapped on someone’s chest throughout the day. Regardless of who everyone voted for, it was amazing to see students actually cared about such an important right that we have as American citizens.
I won’t lie; it hit me hard when Trump won. I could not bring myself even to glance at any social media and read the derivative posts about how “weak” and “sheltered” my generation is and that we should all just “crawl back into our safe spaces,” now that the election was over.
Not even a week following the election and an incident already happened on my campus. Three white men followed an African-American female student into a tunnel under the train, and began surrounding her and chanting “Trump! Trump! Trump!” until she fell and hit her head.
A part of me came to terms with the fact that maybe I was a little too idealistic when it came to politics. Maybe I had a little too much faith in the citizens of a nation that would support the hate that Trump perpetuated.
The inspirational response by my campus immediately lifted my spirits. A group of anonymous students spray-painted the tunnel with the phrase “You Are Never Alone,” and left sticky notes and markers for anyone else who wanted to leave a message of hope to the woman that was unjustly assaulted. 
Party lines were disregarded, and Trump and Clinton supporters alike came together and condemned the actions of those three disrespectful boys.
I will be at Villanova for at least the next three and a half years, but I do not plan to wait until the next election to further my attempts to ignite passion within other students here.
It is our job as Americans to keep ourselves involved in political issues every year, all year and not just during election season. And while Villanova is not the most politically active or caring university, this single, simple act of kindness proves that it is even more important to invest yourself in places where the views of the majority don’t match your own, because that is where you will make the biggest impact.
Manyak, a local of Cape May for all 18 years of her life, is a graduate of Lower Cape May Regional High School. She is in her freshman year at Villanova University as English major.