Loyola University Maryland sent an apology to its student community for the theme of one of its parties: "Party in the USA." This was for an annual celebration for the school's senior class.
Students were shocked that the party's theme, which has always been patriotic in nature, was considered by the school as "divisive," The Washington Post reported. An administrator has also advised student leaders to reconsider the theme after the election.
"As an organization, we want to extend our deepest apologies to those that were hurt by this theme and the negative impact it had on them," the school's student government association to the Class of 2017 stated. "Although it was not our intention to create such a divisive climate, we understand that the impact of this decision is much greater than our initial intention."
Emily Burke, a senior student, revealed her disappointment. She is also the president of the Loyola Republicans.
"I was upset to see that that's the standpoint the school was going to take - that they felt they needed to apologize in some way for being proud to be an American," she told the publication. "The theme was supposed to be unifying, and it should have been."
According to the email from the student government, there are students who see the theme as a way for the community to come together and celebrate. However, with the current political climate, the student leaders also acknowledged that there are people who disagree with the theme.
Once again, this has demonstrated how much effect the presidential campaign and the victory of Donald Trump at the 2016 U.S. election has in the education sector. There has been an increase in hostile acts done to minority students in campuses throughout the country after the Republican nominee won.
Trump has also been vocal about his plans to deport illegal immigrants. This prompted colleges and universities to band together to protect undocumented students.
