{"id":173075,"date":"2024-11-06T16:52:59","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T15:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=173075"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:34","slug":"rising-tension-among-harris-fans-on-election-night-at-arminius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/11\/06\/rising-tension-among-harris-fans-on-election-night-at-arminius\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising tension among Harris fans during election night at Arminius"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around four hundred students and staff gathered in the Arminiuskerk to experience the American election night together. The event, organised by Studium Generale and Arminius, was dominated by Kamala Harris fans, whose optimism gradually turned to tension as the evening wore on.<\/p>\n

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NRC journalist S\u00fceda I\u015f\u0131k discusses the meme culture around Kamala Harris.<\/span><\/p>

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Arminius elections<\/h2>

9.00 pm<\/strong> \u2013 People stream into the Arminius Church and find a place in the main hall, which is decorated with small American flags. \u201cAll tickets sold out two weeks in advance\u201d, says David Boeren from Studium Generale, one of the evening\u2019s hosts. The hall is filled with the scent of grilled hamburgers from a food corner, and across from the bar, the first people make their way to the ballot box for the \u2018Arminius elections\u2019, through which the audience will cast their votes this evening.<\/p>\n

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The event had sold out weeks in advance.<\/span><\/p>

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Militia groups <\/h2>

9.08 pm<\/strong> \u2013 TV reporter Danny Ghosen kicks off the evening with a talk about his tour through several American states, where he discussed issues such as homelessness, radicalisation and the border with Mexico. \u201cA culture clash is going on there\u201d, says Ghosen. \u201cReligious groups are calling for subjects like homosexuality and transgender issues to be removed from children\u2019s books and schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

He goes on to show videos of militia groups who have taken it upon themselves to \u2018guard\u2019 the border. One man, dressed as a soldier, explains that he believes only drugs, trafficking victims, and criminals cross the border, and they must be stopped. Ghosen then shows a video in which the armed men end up helping families that crossed the border, though they do notify the border police afterwards.<\/p>\n

Trump or Harris <\/h2>

9.31 pm<\/strong> \u2013 Boeren asks the crowd who they hope will win. Many hands go up for Harris, and loud cheers echo even from the balconies. There are some Trump supporters, but they\u2019re few and far between. Then Boeren asks, \u201cAnd who do you think will win?\u201d This time, many hands are raised for Trump. An American in the audience voices his support before he asks a question. \u201cI proudly voted for Kamala Harris.\u201d Nearly the entire crowd applauds in response.<\/p>\n

Too complex <\/h2>

9.45 pm<\/strong> \u2013 On stage, a debate is held about Trump\u2019s political ideas. \u201cEmotions are what matter most in American politics today. The impact of Trump\u2019s economic policies is too complex and convoluted, or simply too boring\u201d, says American affairs expert Kirsten Verdel, drawing laughter from the audience. The search for an enemy and the promise of a simple solution, Verdel argues, are key parts of Trump\u2019s campaign. \u201cHe simplifies the world and tells people what they want to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the evening progresses, it becomes clear that votes, such as postal votes, will still need to be counted beyond tonight, so a final result is far off. Verdel quips, \u201cTrump would say: Stop the count\u201d, a reference to his statement from four years ago. The crowd laughs.<\/p>\n

Meme culture <\/h2>

10.24 pm \u2013 A few people take a break and head towards the bar. Meanwhile, journalist S\u00fceda I\u015f\u0131k takes the stage to give her talk on meme culture. \u201cKamala can come across as very philosophical, which people turned into memes\u201d, I\u015f\u0131k says. Internet popularity, it turns out, can give a campaign a substantial boost. \u201cTrump grabs the attention of many young men by riding in a garbage truck after Biden called Trump\u2019s followers \u2018garbage\u2019. Young men find Trump funny because of this, and it draws them to him.\u201d And this isn\u2019t the first time Trump has depicted himself as an \u2018ordinary guy\u2019. In October, he appeared in Pennsylvania as a McDonald\u2019s employee.<\/p>\n

Students and the election<\/h2>

11.15 pm<\/strong> \u2013 Boeren sits on a bench in the hallway, where it\u2019s quieter than in the main hall. \u201cIt\u2019s fantastic to bring students and staff from Erasmus University together to experience election night\u201d, he says. He notes that the presidential elections are really on students\u2019 minds in the Netherlands. \u201cAmerica plays such a major role in the world. I hope Kamala wins, because that would safeguard democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump takes the lead <\/h2>
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As the night wears on, enthusiasm gives way to tension.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

12.45 am<\/strong> \u2013 The first results appear on the screen in the main hall, with Trump in the lead. Yet, Harris fans continue to speculate about the possible outcome. The final result is still a long way off, but tension in the hall starts to build. Laughter and cheers increasingly give way to heated discussions about a result that many attendees would find unwelcome.<\/p>\n\n\t

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