By: Taylor Tosheff

The highly publicized presidential election came to an end on Tuesday, Nov. 8 when Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, took enough electoral votes to win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The upset win was a result of polls reporting that it was most likely that Clinton would become America’s 45th president.

Clinton led the popular vote with a slight edge, but Trump seized the presidency with 279 electoral votes to Clinton’s 228 votes. As more and more voting results flooded in, viewers were shocked to see that Trump won over states that have been known to be Democratic for many years.

Political analysts reported that, due to the consistent devotion to the Democratic Party in some states, the Clinton campaign neglected to hold rallies there, and instead focused more on the big swing states. Trump set his campaign trail in the swing states as well as the bordering Democratic states.

Two of the main swing states that were closely watched throughout the night were Pennsylvania, accountable for 20 electoral votes, and Florida, with 29 electoral votes. The night took a turn in favor of Trump supporters after winning Pennsylvania, resulting in pushing Trump significantly past Clinton.

Clinton’s campaign manager released a statement saying she would most likely not be speaking that night. This sparked a lot of conversation, especially among reports at the Clinton headquarters in New York City.

A few minutes shy of 3 a.m., results came in carrying Trump over the needed 270 electoral votes to win the election.

At Trump headquarters in New York City, the new president-elect took to the stage after being introduced by Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

Trump started his acceptance speech by saying, “I have just received a call from Secretary Clinton to congratulate us on our victory,” as he pointed to the supporters standing in front of him.

Trump responded by congratulating Clinton and her family on a very hard-fought campaign. Trump focused his speech mainly on the importance for both parties to come together and bind the wounds of division.

“To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people,” said Trump.

Clinton waited to give her concession speech until the following day in New York. She started off by saying, “Last night I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country.”

Clinton then added, “This is painful and it will be for a long time,” before telling her supporters to have an open mind and respect for the future President Trump.

However, that was not the case for some. Protests across the country began to emerge. Rallies outside of the White House occurred as Trump arrived in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Nov. 10 to meet with President Barack Obama.

On the same day, police officers in Portland, Ore. declared a rally now a riot, as anti-Trump protesters smashed store windows and shattered car windshields.

Some rallies have even occurred on college campuses. As a response to the major political upset, Cornell University professors cancelled classes on Wednesday, Nov. 9 due to personal distress and concern for students’ emotional well-being.

West Chester University seemed to be buzzing about the news as well. Stairwells, hallways and Starbucks lines were all filled with conversation about the previous night’s results. People all had various emotions; some were happy with the outcome, and some were completely distraught.

Alex Garcia, a WCU student, spoke out about how he felt when he heard the news.

“At first I was very upset about the outcome of the election, and to an extent I still am. I am a gay Latino man and also a first generation in America and have seen first hand the dangers of extreme patriotism.”

The second-year student, studying political science, then added, “This election meant a lot to me, and although I have reached the point of acceptance as Trump as our president, I will hold him accountable to his saying that he will be the president for all the American people.”

Trump is set to take the oath of office on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

Twin nursing students share more than just DNA

By: Taylor Tosheff

Ashley and Emily Sapen have done practically everything together, from cheering for 13 years to attending the same college and even majoring in nursing together.

But on Christmas Eve of 2003, their lives changed drastically. Emily was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and Ashley received the same results only three days after.

At age seven, Ashley would experience stomach and head pain after eating a meal.

“I would cry a lot after eating lunch or dinner, but couldn’t explain what was happening or what I was feeling. I even lost eight pounds in a short amount of time, and as a second grader, that isn’t normal,” said Ashley, a junior nursing major at West Chester University.

Their mother, a registered nurse, knew something was not quite right with her young daughter and decided to bring her to the Hershey Medical Center for an exam.

While Emily had never experienced any type of symptoms similar to her sister’s, doctors and family still took precautionary measures and began tests on her as well.

Doctors at Hershey Medical Center were shocked to see the same diagnoses with twins only 72 hours apart.

Although identical twins acquire identical genes, it does not necessarily mean that they are both at risk for the same diseases.

Research has found that if one twin has Type 1 diabetes, the other will have a 50 percent chance of also possessing the same disease. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little to no insulin, which is needed to allow sugar to enter cells to produce energy.

After being diagnosed, the twins’ diabetes did not stop them from doing what they loved most: cheerleading. After 10 years of cheering for school sports teams and travel competitions, Ashley and Emily decided to try out to become Golden Ram cheerleaders.

In the beginning, it took time to adjust to their new devices, and their diagnoses often lead to interruptions during practice.

With the advancement of technology since their first diagnosis in 2003, the devices needed to maintain control over their diabetes have become more efficient and obscure. In high school they helped give each other shots anywhere from five to 10 times a day.

Now, they wear a small pump 24 hours a day, seven days a week, that only needs to be changed every three days.

Cheerleading requires hours of practice, constant movement and physical activity, which can cause insulin to work faster.

“Everything affects blood sugar, whether it is stress or exercise. It is important to balance your meals and exercise to prevent a drop in blood sugar,” said Emily.

Due to an early diagnosis, Ashley and Emily spent a great amount of time around doctors and nurses being educated on their disease and attending consistent check-ups.

It was normal to spend a lot of time immersed in the medical field. Over the years, the support and encouragement of their nurses led them to pursue a career in nursing.

Since 2003, the twins have been involved in countless camps and foundations that benefit juvenile diabetes.

Over the years, Ashley and Emily assisted in raising $50,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDFR).

The twins were also a part of the Children’s Miracle Network, aiding to raise money and awareness about the disease.

The future undeniably seems very bright for these identical twins. Ashley, who is now the captain of the WCU cheer team, hopes to become a registered nurse and a diabetic nurse educator.

Emily holds the position of Social Chair for the Student Nurses’ Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP) here at WCU and aspires to specialize in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or pediatrics after becoming a registered nurse.

Whether they’re on the sideline or spending countless hours working at the hospital, Ashley and Emily take the daily obstacles of Type 1 diabetes in stride.

With the support of each other and their sisterly bond, they are able to look past their disease and have a positive and upbeat outlook on what is to come