IN ORDER to make any endeavour a valuable experience, one must work hard at it and sustain the effort. College is no exception. In last week's column I argued for the importance of student participation in self-governance to maintain the quality of our educational experience. Student participation within the University, however, is not enough by itself. Students ought to participate in the environment around them. To be civically responsible students, we should do away with the ivory tower stereotype of universities. The University is not and ought not to be a cloistered, disengaged community, but one very much active in and connected to every aspect of life around it. As students and as democratic citizens, it is our responsibility to participate in that greater community.
Democracy at every level relies on the sustained involvement of its citizens. For any part of a democratic society to remain vigorous, it must stay engaged. Politics at every level has an impact on our lives, especially our college lives. Kristin Twiford, Co-Chair of the Student Council Legislative Affairs Committee, explained, "Whether it's the cost of our education, financial aid, the makeup of the student populations at our schools, our safety, etc., legislators are always talking about issues that concern us." We students are the ones experiencing University life and the ones most qualified to articulate our situation to legislators. It would be a grave injustice for others far removed from the University to make legislative decisions regarding our lives here without hearing us out.
We have a responsibility to the University to participate on its behalf and on our own behalf. We shouldn't take governmental funding or policy toward the University for granted. It is something that is determined through the exchange of ideas that is the legislative process. We deserve to have our voices be heard in that process. Just as in a course, where we must work hard to obtain the most benefit, we must engage in civic affairs to ensure policies are favorable to an enjoyable and valuable college experience.
There is a common misconception that politicians only pay attention to the rich, powerful lobbyists. Students may feel that their opinions are ignored because they cannot contribute massive amounts of funds to political campaigns. This is simply not true. Professor Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics, noted, "Contrary to popular belief, most politicians went into their line of work to help people and make the right choices. When students contribute their own personal stories
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