On November 9, over forty Purdue students, staff, and community members gathered in the mechanical engineering building to discuss the aftermath of the election and what students and staff can do to reassure each other that this campus will not tolerate hate and discrimination.

On November 10, from noon to three in the afternoon, those same students and even more gathered together at Memorial Mall, representing different identities and student organizations, in order to exemplify their visibility and create a united community. Many different organizations that focus on social justice, diversity and culture plan on continuing to work together in order to fight against discrimination and build a safe campus and accepting community.

Below are various interviews and photos from the gathering that took place.

Purdue students gather at Memorial Mall. Photo courtesy of Octavia Nettles.

"I want everyone else to know that they're not alone."

"I'm here because I am genuinely afraid because of the election results. I believe that we need to stand together as people, as a group, and make sure that we all know that we're in this together and that we're going to fight to make sure that everything stays and progresses the way it should. Not even nine months ago I went to a reproductive rights rally in Indianapolis and I held a sign that said 'Fire Mike Pence,' with about a thousand other people joining me, and now he's our vice president-elect. So, that's a lot of the reason why I'm here and I want everyone else to know that they're not alone, and I don't want to feel alone.

I think this gathering of people is supposed to represent unity and that in the face of what could be really bad discrimination, that we're going to stand together and embrace each other for exactly who we are and not who people say we are."

Samantha Mayotte

A chalkboard that showcases the different identities Purdue students are proud of. Photo taken by Kathrine Boyer.

"We want to continue the conversation."

"My name is Madison Long and I am the executive director of diversity and inclusion within Purdue Student Government. So we're working on an identity campaign called #UShouldKnow and what we're doing is creating a conversation about what it means to celebrate your identity and accept others for their identity. So for today we're working on 'I am' and 'I am proud to be.' So those are affirmations that people are putting up that they're proud to have and put on huge blackboards. Yesterday we had an event that was 'I am more than' and it was another #UShouldKnow event. It was 'I am more than' and identity that people may limit your to. This was trying to break down stereotypes and say 'I am bigger than this identity that you may label me as.' Tomorrow we are going to have a t-shirt give away where it says #UShouldKnow and then a blank that will be describing something you can write in yourself. This is something that you can carry with you, maybe even open discussions with other students as this campaign is only a week long, but we want to continue the conversation."

Madison Long

Madison Long stands next to a chalkboard that portrays different identities of Purdue students. Photo taken by Kathrine Boyer.

"Now is the time to actually listen."

"I'm here because I think it's a good cause and I think there's been a lack of listening to each other. It's a good opportunity for people from all walks of life to come up and make it known that we're a diverse campus no matter left/right, conservative/liberal. You're still a Purdue student and we're all in this together. I think it's time now, and I wrote this on the board, for us to stop talking and start listening to each other more. We saw the political discourse through this election, and there wasn't a lot of discussion about actual issues. Now is the time to actually listen and acknowledge that what's done is done and we need to move forward, and make the best of what the situation is and understand each other a little better.

Steve Helm

Three Purdue students read what fellow classmates have written on the chalkboard. Photo taken by Kathrine Boyer.

"I believe that we as people should unify."

"I was at the gathering to show support since I'm from a Black Greek Letter Organization and I see us as leaders in the minority community. I believe that we as people should unify, color of skin and varying ideals shouldn't conflict with civil rights and equality. The gathering helped me realize that we care more than people think and that we won't tolerate bigotry and hate crimes. And we won't be put down."

Folabi Oshinubi

Students, staff, and community members all came together to showcase their different identities. Photo taken by Kathrine Boyer.

"We want to have an inclusive campus."

"So this is our identity campaign that we have been working towards in Purdue Student Government with the diversity and inclusion committee. Our goal was to focus on making students aware of their own identities and their ways of how to express them - the ones that are seen and the ones that are not. Same with trying to recognize all the other types of identities we have at Purdue because we are such a diverse school. So we are working toward getting people to understand that we want to have an inclusive campus. Today we're showing off the identities that people are proud to be and what they want the school to see and want the world to know. That's why we have the hashtag #UShouldKnow."

Joseph Eldridge

Joseph Eldridge writes his identity he's proud of on the chalkboard. Photo taken by Kathrine Boyer.

"We are more than willing to let them know how much we matter here."

"I am affiliated with Students of Purdue Against Racism Coalition, and my role in that organization is president and co-founder. I am here today just to promote self-empowerment and the empowerment of underrepresented communities at Purdue. This gathering is here essentially just to bring people together, generate solidarity across different groups on campus, let everyone know that they are valued on this campus and that they are loved. In the event that people try and take that from us, we are more than willing to let them know how much we matter here and that this place is as much for us as it is for them. We encourage everyone to get involved and learn more about why we are demanding a space just to express ourselves and let our identities be known."

Jasmine Edison

Jasmine Edison stands next to a chalkboard among fellow classmates. Photo taken by Kathrine Boyer.

Purdue students and student organizations plan to continue working together to show that this campus will not tolerate discrimination or hate. More events will be planned soon in order to demonstrate this and to create a safe, inclusive campus. If you would like more information about how you can become a part of this action, feel free to contact the student organization leaders and join the community.