On Jan. 20, student Girard Brown hosted a SHU Speaks discussion about the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

Seven students attended the discussion. Brown wanted those who attended to be able to discuss their overall reaction to the election in a safe and comfortable environment. It appeared to be a very positive and open conversation between the attendees.

Faculty and staff were recommended to not attend. Brown said this was intentional, with the hope that students would share their opinions without the fear of judgement. There were pros and cons to having no faculty or staff present, according to Brown.

Brown stated that there could have been more in attendance if faculty and staff were invited to attend; however, if they were allowed, there could have been some awkwardness after the discussion. For example, if the student supported one candidate and the professor supported another candidate, that could have caused some tension between the two, he said.

Millennials definitely played a role in the election, according to most involved in the discussion. Whether they showed up to vote or not is a different story. Brown said that because of how this election went, “millennials will pay more attention to politics and become more involved in the next election.”

There were also thoughts on what millennials need to do to make sure the nation moves forward in a positive direction.

“We need to stop hating, and we all need to, as a whole, come together. We have to stop looking at the negative things,” said Brown.

While not many students attended, those who did, it seemed, walked away with something beneficial. Brown said the hope would be that if another discussion were to come, more students would attend and discuss their opinions in a comfortable environment.