The results of the 2017 election come as a shock to most of us, and a disappointment to some of us. Viewers saw Hillary’s chance of winning start the night at a confident 80 per cent and end at a mere 2 per cent according to the New York Times. What most statisticians did not predict is that Donald Trump is the new 45th president of the United States of America and he will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017. Until then, President Obama will live out his numbered days in office and will congratulate the president-elect. Hillary has come to terms with the fact that even though she won the popular vote, she lost the electoral college.

So, what is the state of America? Many despise Trump for his very extreme comments which could be called racist or sexist, while others criticize Clinton for her corruption and dishonesty.

Some people worry that Donald Trump will improve our country at the expense of the world, or fall back on the United States’ responsibility to uphold our end of the climate conservation deal, or tear this country in two. “I’m just scared that he’s gonna get the nuclear codes,” says a sophomore. It is important to remind people that Donald Trump will have a cabinet of level-headed advisers to prevent the presidential nominee from making any hasty decisions. This country was not built on the actions of the single person; it was built on the actions of thousands of soldiers, lawyers and working-class men and women. There are those who see the sky falling and those who see our ceilings soar. In the end, the sky will remain exactly where it is. One man or even a group of Republicans who control the Senate and the House won’t be able to bring down a country as strong as this one or even rebuild a country. In the end, we will all be fine.

Don’t worry about the end of the world. Trump won’t cause that. Don’t worry about the destruction of America either, because Trump won’t cause that either. But we could.

Nationwide protests in more than nine major cities have shaken our country to the core. Protesters carrying signs saying “#NotMyPresident” in big, bold font march around Trump Tower hoping for change or a miracle that just won’t come. There is a divide in America. We need to unify, now more than ever, in the midst of a historically chaotic election. We should be listening instead of speaking. Trump won fair and square without celebrity endorsements or endorsements from even his own colleagues. There is no use in saying that Trump won because of the votes of uneducated, ignorant farmers, or that Hillary won the popular vote so she should be president. The electoral college system has been a part of our country since its inception, and discounting it now discounts the results of four other elections. Holding on to this chaos and hoping that Hillary will be elected instead of Trump is distracting us, distracting us from issues that really matter like gun control and prejudice.

Who cares that your neighbor supported Trump? Who cares that your classmate supported Trump? Who cares that he lost the popular vote, but still won? Meaningless conflict will not change anything. What matters is that we look to the future side by side with open minds and open eyes. We may not support one candidate or the other, but in the end the reason that we protest is because we all care about this country.