Alice Bolandhemat In the weeks following the election, several meetings took place to discuss concerning opinions about the president-elect. The Latin Alliance for Women (LAW) had two meetings regarding the election. The meetings were closed, meaning the few men in the club were asked not to attend the gatherings. The goal of the meetings was to converse about the results of the election in a respectful manner and discuss what this means for women in the Latin community. The discussions served as a safe place for women at Latin to voice their concerns. El Buchanan, the Social Media Head of LAW, said the meetings have “been a place for women to come and just ask questions” especially for younger students in the upper school, who might not have the opportunity to discuss the election on any other occasion. The meetings were closed for a particular reason. “Although we love all the men that attend, we needed to make a place where everyone felt 100% safe, and having men there would not make everyone feel totally comfortable saying anything they wished.” Freshman Aoife Reynolds certainly agreed. “Some may think it’s unfair that this meeting was a closed one, but it allowed us to have some time as a group to hear from each other in a non-threatening environment.” The meetings provided women at Latin with a chance to “speak about personal experiences and how they believed the election affected young women, particularly in the Latin community,” continued Reynolds. “We talked about their hopes, fears, and uncertainties for this country following the election.” The meetings revolved around not only discussion but fears for what this election might mean for females. They also discussed how to support other women in difficult situations. Reynolds said, “The LAW meetings regarding the elections allowed me to feel supported and also taught me strategies I could use in the future in certain scenarios where I feel targeted and unsafe.” When summing up her experiences and discussions at the post-election LAW meetings, Reynolds acknowledged how important it was. “We discussed how this is an opportunity for us to come together and stand up but in a way that is not uncivilized. We questioned the morality many children today, like our siblings, will face knowing the things our president-elect has said. We were reminded that we are stronger than anyone who feels the need to question our ability based on our gender. It was definitely an intense atmosphere but by the end I felt more comfortable and less anxious about my future and the future of my peers.”]]>