Though over one hundred days have passed since President Donald Trump’s election, our country has yet to unify around him. Due to the present divided nature of the nation’s politics, the Trump administration is struggling to pass certain legislation. Debates about our new President, healthcare, women’s rights, immigration, and more prove to be passionate and often contentious.
The same political fire exists within Charlotte. The Queen City is considered to be a “blue dot in a sea of red,” because Charlotte’s majority is Democrat. Overall, North Carolina’s majority is conservative, with 50% of 2016 popular votes going to Trump and the other 50% dispersed between the other candidates.
Similarly, the Providence Day community reflects a deep political divide. Many students and faculty have agreed that our community reflects liberally as a whole, but in reality there also exists a conservative “silent majority.” In a collaborative environment such as our school, it is imperative that students and teachers find a way to communicate peacefully.
Senior Manley Roberts is one student who identifies as liberal. Roberts shares that while some of his beliefs stem from his parents’ beliefs, nowadays he and his parents, one of whom is Mayor Jennifer Roberts of Charlotte, do not always see eye to eye. Roberts is actively involved in the political aspects of the Providence Day community, like Students for the Political Advancement of Mankind, or the SPAM club, which he confirms, “leans left but [has] voices on both sides.”
Another Providence Day senior, Chase Hartman, lands on the right side of the political spectrum. Hartman particularly identifies with Republican fiscal policy, despite having Democratic parents. Before the most recent presidential campaign, Hartman says that he had paid minimal attention to politics. Then, “I saw Trump winning and I started to get interested,” he says. Now, Hartman is well-known by students and faculty for supporting Trump through the campaign.
For Providence Day students like Hartman who hold Republican beliefs, the school environment can be intimidating. Students who are more conservative themselves or whose families are more conservative sometimes feel embarrassed about their beliefs.
Hartman reveals that “people have told me off for nothing but voting.” Hartman knows that many people have made assumptions about him, stemming from his support of Trump. “What hurts the most are assumptions made about me,” he says. People have taken Hartman’s Trump hat off of his head. Others have told Hartman, “‘Don’t talk to me for four years until Trump isn’t president.’” These are a few extreme examples of what some Trump supporters face by peers.
Despite experiencing backlash for his views, Hartman proudly expresses his opinions, especially in the popular AP Government class that many seniors take. According to Hartman, the class “is very personal and really heated,” and sometimes the intensity carries beyond the classroom. Because of his public support for President Trump, teachers have taken notice. Mrs. Neely Gutierrez, an Upper School math teacher, uses Hartman as a resource to understand Trump’s decision-making process. “Mrs. Gutierrez pulls me up and asks me about something that’s going on from my point of view,” Chase states, adding that she seems to enjoy hearing his side on different issues.
Both Hartman and Roberts have noted the monumental amount of recent discussion surrounding politics, especially during the campaign. Hartman, as a first-time voter, comments, “I’m not sure if all elections are like this, but I definitely feel that there is a divide between left and right, and there isn’t any middle ground.”
Roberts comments that many people were surprised about the outcome, including himself. He noted major discontent among affinity groups such as the Black Student Union and the Gender Sexuality Alliance. “A lot of people had complaints that are totally valid, and it’s important to hear those,” he affirms, echoed by Hartman. Hartman reports that “a lot of people were really upset about the election. The day after just felt quiet and weird.”
While these two seniors hold opposing opinions in some areas, they have found a way to create a strong friendship. Both Roberts and Hartman emphasize the importance of respect for the opinions of others, a common value which is likely cements their bond.
The ability to find common ground, like Hartman and Roberts have discovered, is one solution to the current political divide. Hartman’s advice for navigating possibly contentious discussions and relationships with students and faculty is to “hear the [other person’s] whole side before you speak, and do your research.” In addition, Roberts suggests to look for “what it is they believe in, why they have the beliefs that they do, and what choices they would make to support them.”
Through historic periods of change for our nation, such as the current one, it is essential to approach others with an open mind and a willingness to discuss every angle to a topic. It may not always be possible to overcome the differences between yourself and another, but there is a way to connect with them through common ground, as long as both parties are willing to find it.
The majority of North Carolina voted Republican in the 2016 Presidential election, as shown in the graphic of the state. Photo courtesy of Ali Zifan.
Many students and faculty have agreed that our community reflects liberally as a whole, but in reality there also exists a conservative “silent majority.”
Hartman sometimes wears a baseball hat with the popular Trump slogan, "Make American Great Again," though others have taken it off of his head. Photo couresty of Gage Skidmore.
Roberts suggests to look for “what it is they believe in, why they have the beliefs that they do, and what choices they would make to support them," to find common ground.
Discussing Differences
on Campus
By Tracy Laughlin
The Charger sits down with students Chase Hartman and Manley Roberts to discuss the divisive impact of the 2016 election and how to navigate interactions with people who hold different beliefs.
Photo courtesy of DonkeyHotey.
Chase Hartman and Manley Roberts are two Providence Day seniors who speak openly about their political views. Photo by Tracy Laughlin.
The Charger, May 2017
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