On June 16, 2015, a blonde-haired businessman wearing an ill-fitting suit and a wide red tie descended down an escalator, waving to adoring supporters before announcing his candidacy for President of the United States. That night, “The Daily Show” ran a segment entitled “White House Don.”

Among other things, host  Jon Stewart declared, “There’s a crazy man running for President!”, calling Trump’s announcement speech “the most beautifully ridiculous jibber jabber to ever pour forth from the mouth of a bats**t billionaire.”

Stewart’s reaction closely mirrored my own. I thought the notion of Donald

Trump’s running for president was a joke, destined to be nothing more than a footnote of the 2016 election. 513 days later Stewart and I were both in shock, as the man who was once hailed by Stewart as a “billionaire vanity candidate” delivered a victory speech just hours after every major news network called the nation’s largest election ever in his favor.

The discourse that became emblematic of those 513 days was unprecedented in American politics. Right up until the day of the election, Trump was largely regarded as a joke by many of the mainstream news outlets.

Setting aside the obvious bias of the liberal bubble of 330 W. Webster, I still believe it’s fair to say that a majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle didn’t take the Trump campaign seriously at first. Even as Trump began to garner substantial support throughout the Republican Primaries, media coverage focused heavily on the absurdities of his campaign. He was covered as a punchline, not a candidate.

Under President Obama I distinctly remember having discussions throughout Middle School and into Upper School about his governing and the substantive policy ideas of his politics. Trump unhinged our discourse with his unorthodox political approach, but even then we refused to ever talk substance.

Although policy and true governance wasn’t a large part of the Trump campaign, there was certainly enough to fill a conversation. Even today, our community talks about Trump as an idiot and a boogeyman, refusing to dig past the surface.

While it’s safe to say that most of the media has moved on to considering Trump in a serious light and holding him accountable just as they would any other politician, Parker hasn’t done the same. Although conversation surrounding our new president persists, it often falls short of substance or depth.

Trump unhinged our discourse with his unorthodox political approach, but it’s our fault that we refuse to talk substance. Although policy and true governance wasn’t a large part of the Trump campaign, there was certainly enough to fill a conversation. Even today, our community talks about Trump as an idiot and a boogeyman, refusing to dig past the surface.

I’m not a fan of what can be found when substantively examining Trump, but it is absolutely necessary to ensure that it is understood. The way Parker speaks about Trump needs to fundamentally change. Our discourse has strayed too far from factual objectivity and brutal seriousness, forsaking debate in favor of comedy.

Most of us are diplomatic enough to understand that bashing Trump outright might upset certain individuals, but hearing classmates, teachers even, joke about “making something great again” is massively counterproductive to our educational goals as a community. Hearing Trump’s campaign slogan used as a one-liner is irresponsible. If we think of his words and actions as a joke, we think of him as a joke and that can’t be.

So in spite of his absurdities and personality quirks, his tweets and rhetoric, we need to be able to discuss the President of the United States with a straight face and a cool temperament. Many find President Trump repulsive, vulgar, ridiculous, and unfit to lead, but whatever your opinion, he is the President, and we owe it to ourselves to internalize that. I’m not saying your thoughts about our Commander-in-Chief have to change, but the way and demeanor with which we acknowledge him must.

One can make the valid point that Trump media coverage has shifted significantly since his inauguration, but there is an upper limit to the impact outside change can have on our community.  Seeing CNN run Sean Spicer’s Press Conference on a delay to fact-check the Press Secretary or hearing––Chuck Todd hammer Kellyanne Conway on “Alternative Facts” is a start, but cable news isn’t the solution to our issue.

It is necessary that our community takes steps to provide opportunities for students to voice their thoughts and opinions in a serious way. The driving force cannot be an email from the administration or a revised history department policy. It must be the everyman.

Change such as this is best not forced or imposed but adopted. It is best sustained through altering hearts and minds. There is no be all end all to our problem – the work must emanate from each and everyone of us.

The only way for us to understand the complexities of the Trump Administration is through sustained debate and conversation. Jokes can continue, but serious discussions must follow. For better or for worse, Trump can no longer be tuned out or pushed away. He’s the President of the United States, and we need to start evaluating him as such.