Last week, our nation reelected Barack Obama to be the 44th president of the United States of America. Unlike the last presidential election, I did not miss the opportunity to vote. It didn’t hurt that Election Day just so happened to fall on my birthday. Growing up in D.C., I was always smack dab in the middle of the political scene — I went to school with politicians’ children and have always been heavily been invested in politics.
Now, these are my views and my opinions only, but on Election Night four years ago, I saw my country make a change for the better. Not only did we vote for a man that inspired people to get out and vote for the very first time, but he gave people hope — something relatively new for this country. Since he has been in office he has passed the Affordable Care Act, continued to fight for the rights of women to make their own choices about their body, and has come out in support of gay marriage.
One of my friends and coworkers devoted months of her time to the Obama campaign here in Charlottesville, tirelessly canvassing, making phone calls, getting people to register — she got me too — and getting the word out to the public. She was so passionate about what she was doing, and she wasn’t alone. Every day leading up to Election Day, students who had sat next to me in classes earlier that week would knock on my door to have a conversation with me about Mitt Romney or Barack Obama. It showed me how much people cared, especially students.
As I walked into a New Cabell last week, I saw a sign posted on the door that said that one of the most potent forms of tyranny is being complacent — not taking action and not caring about what was going on in the world outside the University. It said to go vote, and I couldn’t have agreed more with that message. We as students have made, and will continue to make such an impact on this world: One day we will comprise the factions of world leaders, politicians and educators. It is up to us to take the first step in making change, and it reminds me of this past summer’s “unpleasantness” with the Board of Visitors and University President Teresa Sullivan.
I was here in Charlottesville the entire summer, and I watched as the 17-day period of her resignation and then reinstatement unfolded. What really moved me was how the entire University community united together to “rally for honor,” and the faculty and students came together to protest the Board’s actions. We voiced our concerns with their actions and held them accountable and change was made.
Students have been advocating for Transparency NOW, and this once again came up last week in the public meeting that the Board held on transparency with the student population. I don’t know if the Board or the administration don’t understand what a public meeting is, but when my fellow students acted on their rights to free speech and protest in a peaceful manner, they were met with police and administrators who threatened to arrest — or even worse — terminate students from this University.
I was appalled to hear that the school that I have cherished so much would try to silence the very students who wanted to work on change at our University. It states very clearly in the Board manual in section 2.36 that meetings held in open session must be open to the public.
Now, I’m not trying to start a revolution or anything, far from it, but I am imploring you all, the students, to get your voices heard and stand up for what you believe in. We all have ideas and something to say, and change does not come from just one person. As an old timer, like many of the other students leading these protests, I’m about to leave in the Spring, and without the voices of you underclassmen, this change that is occurring at U.Va. will die out.
Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself and take a stand!
Al’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. He can be reached at a.koroma@cavalierdaily.com.
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