Nathan Bridge, News Editor

Donald Trump has been labeled by critics as one of the most polarizing and unpredictable presidents in modern history, and the stress and controversy that stems from that fact has seeped into college campuses. Utica College is no exception.

Between an investigation involving potential Russian collusion, his bold stance on climate change, alienation within his own cabinet and rising tensions with North Korea, Trump has had his hands full since the very beginning of his presidency.

Political science professor, Luke Perry, offered context to the North Korea issue, explaining that while he believes the threat is very real and escalation is certainly possible, the fact that there are thousands of Americans residing in South Korea would likely be a deterrent to President Trump initiating an attack.

“If America did missile strikes or any type of land invasion, that would immediately put a lot of American lives at risk, as well as our allies in South Korea,” Perry said. “So I think we see more rhetoric than anything.”

Perry added that while rhetoric can be concerning and cause potential escalation, the reality is that it would be very difficult for either side in this conflict to initiate a physical altercation.

Climate change is another issue the Trump administration has had to confront.

“It’s kind of disheartening when someone just blows off empirical evidence of something that could be detrimental to not only this country, but the whole world,”senior Ben Mehic said. “He has a very narrow mindset in terms of the well-being of the people.”

Mehic went on to compare the happenings of Trump’s cabinet, along with the many firings and voluntary resignations, to a larger scale version of the President’s former reality TV show.

Along with foreign policy and climate change, President Trump has also struggled with juggling conflicts on his own country’s soil.

Senior Malik Gayle expressed a lack of surprise when Trump did not come up with a strong enough response to the white supremacy marches in Charlottesville, Virginia.

After violence broke out in Virginia, Trump was quoted condemning “violence on both sides,” much to the dismay of many Americans.

“It’s kind of ironic for the man that was known for quickly responding to a lot of things to be very quiet on Twitter when that first happened,” Gayle said. “It was a big red flag for me. I’m not saying he’s a white supremacist or anything, but the fact that his response was so delayed and altered several times was definitely worrying.”

Gayle also expressed concern over the the amount of cynicism in American politics, especially in this controversial landscape.

“Now, people who may have been interested in politics are more likely to be alienated,” Gayle said. “That’s really terrifying during a time when people should be paying attention now more than ever.”