Today, First Lady Melania Trump received the “Women of Distinction” from the small Florida Christian college Palm Beach Atlantic University.
During her acceptance speech for the award — one that was riddled with Donald-esque stutters, awkward long pauses, and more than a little difficulty reading the teleprompter — Mel made sure to squeeze in as many not-so-humble brags as she could get away with.
She touted the Trump administration’s alleged fight against the opioid crisis and made sure to get more than a small mention of her hypocritical “Be Best” campaign in there as well, saying her initiative “has been shining a light on programs across the country and overseas that help our youth understand what it means to Be Best.”
But as it turns out, many of the students, staff, and alumni of the modest faith-based university were less than thrilled at the college’s decision to bestow such an honor on the likes of Melania Trump — who’s done anything but “Be Best” alongside her husband over the past three years.
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“This award has historically gone to women whose character and impact in Palm Beach has shaped the culture of our home, and I have not been convinced that the first lady’s character or impact here is worthy of that recognition,” a senior Biology and Zoology major of the University, Graysen Boehning, stated of the decision while speaking to The Hill.
Boehning went on to reveal that he actually took his grievances to school officials in the wake of the announcement last month, saying that several students as well as “some faculty and staff discussed their opinions openly in the days following the announcement, and those opinions seemed relatively split.”
“While many students were excited that the school was bringing in the first lady of the United States to speak, others felt that her character was not representative of the community of love for people of all backgrounds and beliefs that PBA houses and fosters,” he added.
The president of the University’s College Democrats group, Tyler Whitehead, also weighed in on the school’s decision to bestow the award on Trump, stating that many members of the student organization “were displeased and confused.”
“The vast majority of students and faculty that I have spoken to about the decision were disappointed by what seems to be a politically-motivated move on the university’s part,” Whitehead continued in a statement.
Austin Gergen, Whitehead’s Republican counterpart in the school’s GOP group said he thought there were likely “quite a few” who were behind the decision, but admitted that he’d not met any of them personally.
“I’ve talked to other students who believe this will tank their chances at graduate school, and I definitely think they’re overreacting, but I understand their concern. Overall, I think this was most likely a donor-oriented decision rather than a moral one,” Gergen said.
“I don’t think that Melania Trump was the most outstanding woman in the Palm Beach area, but that being said, I don’t mind the move,” he added.
The University president, Bill Fleming, told The Palm Beach Post that he accepted the committee’s recommendation for Melania to receive the award “enthusiastically,” stating that it was “the honorable thing to do.” He went on to clarify that the decision was “not a political statement on the part of the university.”
The alumni community seemed to be equally as displeased with the move. Scott Hampson, a 2013 graduate, said he met the news with a “healthy eye roll” while another alumnus who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the decision “shook” him.
“It definitely made me take a pause with how much I affiliate myself with the university, just because, I would never want to be known to have gone to a school like Liberty or anything like that,” the anonymous former student said, adding that he finds Melania’s “Be Best” campaign “laughable” being as “she’s married to one of the biggest cyberbullies in our country.”
Maybe those rattled nerves during her acceptance speech this afternoon were simply a result of knowing she’s not well-liked there, nor pretty much anywhere at this point.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
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