THE HOFSTRA
HEMPSTEAD, NY VOLUME 92 ISSUE 2
CHRONICLE
TUESDAY September 24, 2024
KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935 NEWS
Donald Trump promises to “save New York” at campaign rally
Photo courtesy of Veronica Wakefield / The Hofstra Chronicle The crowd waits in anticipation for Trump to enter the stage.
By Grace Luty, Donald Proctor, Lily Spinda and Veronica Wakefield SPEC IA L TO T H E C H R O NI CL E , STAFF W R I T E R , N E W S E DI TOR AND SP E C I A L TO T H E CHRONI CL E
On Wednesday, Sept. 18, former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump hosted a campaign rally at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum just 48 days from the election. Hofstra students, faculty and public safety officers anticipated heavy traffic on the Hempstead Turnpike, and for a massive crowd to attend the rally. On Monday, Sept. 16, Hofstra announced that all classes after 1 p.m. on Wednesday would be held virtually, and anyone entering the campus would be required to show proof of Hofstra ID to a public safety officer to prevent rally-goers from parking in Hofstra’s lots. Still, students were tense, as many students were on campus for their in-person morning classes. Many commuters were concerned about their safety and increased commute times, and although there was heightened security both on and off campus, many students believed that classes should have been taught online for the entire day.
After a second assassination attempt was made on the former president on Sunday Sept. 15 at the Trump International Golf Club, many were questioning whether there should be a rally so close to Hofstra’s campus. “I’m very concerned about my safety because I think it was two days ago or a day ago there was another assassination attempt on Trump,” said Nia Ojuro, a senior health science major. Ojuro is the secretary for Hofstra’s Black Student Union and events coordinator of Strictly Steppin’. Public Safety released a statement regarding security measures that would be taken to maintain a safe and orderly environment. “Public Safety has been in communication with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and security of the campus during former President Trump’s upcoming rally. In addition to steps taken by Hofstra’s administration to limit in-person activities, Public Safety will have an increased presence on Wednesday, and those driving on campus should be prepared to show Hofstra identification.” To solidify this statement, all
gates around campus that are not regularly monitored were closed and locked so the Hofstra campus would be secure during the rally. Security was a major concern, but many Hofstra students begroaned the impacts the rally would make on their commute to and from the university. “It’s going to be hell commuting to campus because people are going to be at the stadium at like 4 a.m. in the morning, waiting outside for hours … I feel like all classes should go virtual just for the time being until this whole event is over,” said commuter student Hailey Falta a freshman double majoring in drama and communications. Falta is from Seaford in Nassau County. Falta’s assumptions were correct. The rally, set to begin at 7 p.m., allowed attendees to enter the Coliseum at 3 p.m., but many attempted to camp outside of the Coliseum the night before, as early as 10 p.m. And while the venue’s seats only hold 16,000 people, supporters of Trump flooded the Coliseum grounds to secure a position in line that would allow for an inperson seating experience. Merchandise vendors lined the road and inside the gates to the venue. Hats, flags, shirts
and posters with “Trump 2024,” “Trump Vance 2024” and “M.A.G.A.,” were sported by majority of the attendees, in passionate support of the former president. The queue to enter the venue zig-zagged throughout the entire Coliseum parking lot, with many of the lines merging. This led to heated arguments between attendees, as some supporters accused others of cutting lines. However, the majority of attendees remained positive. Many were filled with joy and pride that the former president was visiting Uniondale. Singers with boomboxes serenaded those standing in line. Throughout the entire afternoon, chants of “Go America, Go” and “U-S-A, U-S-A” were common, breaking out in the line to enter the venue. At one entrance to the Coliseum, a pro-Haitian immigration protest showed out in support. This follows former President Trump’s claim during the ABC Presidential Debate earlier this September that Haitian immigrants in Ohio and Colorado were eating cats and dogs. “No More Hate, No More Hate” was a common chant from the protesters. Starting as early as 1 p.m., students walked in groups down
Hempstead Turnpike, from the north side of campus to the Coliseum. Some students wore Trump merchandise, including hats, shirts, jackets and flags tied around their necks. Junior communications major Peter Mudge attended and was satisfied with Trump’s rally. “[Trump] was really aggressive because this is obviously an important state, and no Republican has won since [1984],” Mudge said. “He was trying to swing the vote and he made some good points … it was a neat experience no matter what party you’re a part of.” Other students attended the rally out of curiosity and interest. One student who preferred to remain anonymous does not support Trump, but went to the rally because of its proximity to the university. “It’s right down the street, I might as well just go and see it and actually see Trump supporters in person … It’s easy to see why he has such a large following like this out here. He’s kind of charismatic,” the student said. As a Long Island native, he thinks that Trump selected the Coliseum due to its smaller stadium size, mainly to create the illusion of a bigger crowd rather than a larger stadium with fewer attendees.
CONTINUED ON A2