ANNA GAGLIANO
Copy Editor
Surprisingly, election night was a quiet one on Fredona’s campus.
It was chilly outside, so not many were out and about on a walk, save for two girls outside Mason Hall making a TikTok.
Inside the Williams Center, groups gathered at the socially-distant round tables in the multi-purpose room with laptops open, studying and chatting about classes. No discussion of the election could be heard.
I came across some more quiet students sitting in the lounge chairs outside of the MPR and asked several if they had any comment to make regarding their emotions of election night or whether or not they’d be watching the polls.
All declined to comment, in a sort of uncomfortable way.
This was understandable, though. This is perhaps the most divisive election in American history, and many were and still are wary of sharing their political beliefs with their friends, let alone a stranger like myself.
Downstairs, at Willie C’s, I didn’t have much more luck.
There was virtually no line, and since I was feeling stressed about the election myself, I picked up some mozzarella sticks and sat down to observe the room.
Just like upstairs, students who were talking out loud weren’t expressing any concerns or regard toward the election. They were just enjoying some time with their friends.
The T.V. lounge area at the back of Willie’s was closed-off due to COVID, so where students might have sat and watched election results before could not be accessed or used.
When I finished my food and ascended the stairs, I came across a cluster of students who I overheard discussing some election-related issues.
They expressed their interest in watching poll results, but encouraged others to not get hung up on waiting. Their message to me was that whoever was going to win was going to win and the world would keep on spinning.
After my discussion with them, I made my way over to University Commons to see if I could find anyone else currently enthralled in the election.
Starbucks was sweeping up and the C-Store was all but empty. A girl sat on the cushioned bench by the door and complained to her friend on the phone about a grade she received. No sign of anyone stressing.
At this point, I figured people were either going to be visibly worried about the election but unwilling to speak to me, or they would be thinking about it in their own way but going about their business as usual.
Upon realizing this, I figured it just wouldn’t hurt to walk through the quads and try to listen for election results playing on a dorm T.V.
As I said earlier, though, it was a brisk night, and many windows were firmly shut. I saw two friends say goodbye to each other in the middle of the quad, then jog to their respective dorms, avoiding eye-contact with me.
The only glimpse I got of students concerned with the election were a couple signs scattered throughout the quads, all in favor of Biden and ranging from simple sayings like “Vote Blue,” to funnier quips like “Dump Trump.”
The lack of students willing to speak to me and the lack of any visibility interested in the polls results does not mean students didn’t care, though. I was seeking out a type of student that, frankly, I don’t think I would’ve been if I were walking around campus on election night.
Even if they don’t show it, students are concerned in their own way about this presidential race. It’s a hard thing to talk about in a year that has been riddled with so many other stressors.
So, I don’t blame them for denying me a quote or focusing on hanging out or studying with their friends.
On one of the most stressful nights of 2020, many Fredonia students chose normalcy, and there’s nothing wrong with that.