Chanelle Leonard was listening to news on the radio in her car last Wednesday night, the day after the election, when she pulled to the side of the road. She burst into tears.

President-elect Donald Trump’s shocking victory didn’t hit her until right then and there, on the side of that dark and empty road. Leonard — an openly gay, black woman — didn’t want to believe he’d won.

In that moment, Leonard, sophomore in public administration, felt hopeless. But just for that moment.

That night, she decided to organize a peaceful campus sit-in. Leonard didn’t exactly want to protest Trump himself, she said, but his “hateful rhetoric” and the hostile feelings she thinks he’s inspired among his supporters. 

“We’re not going to let any of the hatefulness that has happened because of his election reign over this campus or the U.S.,” Leonard said.

The sit-in was set for 4 p.m. outside the Student Center. Word of the demonstration spread on social media.

Supporters were scarce — the demonstration only filled about half the greenspace — but they were passionate.

Students and faculty held handmade signs and LGBTQ pride flags while they chanted “black lives matter,” “gay and trans lives matter” and “no racism, no hate.”

As Leonard made her way through the group, she paused to hug and to talk with each protester.

“I don’t want anyone to ever feel unloved,” Leonard said.

Of course, many students who happened to pass by the demonstration didn’t agree with the protest’s message. Nearly 60 percent of Lee County residents voted for Trump.

Most people just continued walking, but a few bystanders reacted disapprovingly or responded to protesters “black lives matter” chants with their own “all lives matter.”

Mark Bentz, who was wearing a Trump T-shirt when he biked by the sit-in, didn’t think the protesters were accomplishing anything.

“My favorite Twitter post that I saw was a picture of the electoral map and it said, ‘Before and after the riots,’ and it was the same electoral map,” Bentz, freshman in mechanical engineering, said. “They just need to accept it honestly.”

Kory Kiernan, freshman in animal sciences, said he was disturbed by some comments he overheard.

“There’s a difference between disagreeing with someone’s position and being really rude to them,” Kiernan said. “These people out here protesting have been completely nice and respectful, but some of the things I’ve heard people on the outside say are just nasty.”

The University is supportive of students’ right to protest, President Jay Gogue said in a statement.

“Freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble are embedded in our Constitution, and Auburn supports those rights,” Gogue said. “The recent election has generated strong opinions and emotions, and we encourage the campus community to use this opportunity to foster constructive dialogue toward solving some of our nation’s most critical challenges. Voicing concern is good, but combining it with action plans to strengthen our communities is even better. In the process, we must be vigilant in respecting others’ opinions and understanding our differences in backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.”

Leonard said she’s uncertain about the country’s future. Frankly, she said, she’s a little frightened. But she remains hopeful.

“I believe that sometimes things have to fall completely apart for them to be put back together,” Leonard said.

Kristie Martins, community reporter, contributed to this report. 

“I see dark parking lots and my heart starts racing,” a student* said at Tuesday’s Take Back the Night demonstration. “I see men at night and I start shaking.”

The student, a survivor of on-campus sexual assault, said she used to be an “idealist” who saw the world through “rose colored glasses.” Now she is constantly aware of its potential dangers.

Students gathered to march across campus in solidarity with sexual assault survivors and to raise sexual assault awareness on Tuesday night.

“Claim our bodies, claim our rights, take a stance, take back the night,” they chanted.

Before the march, participants shared personal stories — some spoke about their sexual assaults for the first time ever — and offered each other support. 

Another student told demonstrators about her sexual assault at a party by someone she considered a close friend. 

“I can’t begin to explain the confusion that comes along with being betrayed in that way by someone you love,” the student said through tears. “I tried my best to forget about it, or suppress it, or rationalize it away. But that’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt. Trauma is a monster that is unrelenting and will not stop until it has crushed you with all of its weight.”

The student helped found a student organization called STARS, an acronym for standing together against rape and sexual assault, to “provide a place for survivors and non-survivors alike to come together and take a stand against sexual assault.”

*The Plainsman chose not to name sexual assault survivors in this article.