This past weekend, one of us had the opportunity to participate in a rally for a candidate for president of the United States. It helped us get oriented to the national political scene and bring back some lessons that will be useful to the Colgate community.
The first is that we have an obligation to be active citizens. We believe that this begins with voting at any level - student government, local, state, or national elections. However, it does not end there. A Colgate education is giving us a multitude of tools including critical thinking, analytical assessment and logical reasoning. We have an obligation to use these skills in combination with our individual knowledge bases and make a good-faith effort to understand the issues and candidates in order to make an informed decision. The next president will be leading our country in a time of important transition and needs to be able to confront the challenges America faces.
The second lesson is that we should always be respectful of others' opinions. At the rally, there were two small groups of "protestors" that attended in addition to thousands of the candidate's supporters. One group of protestors was respectful, silent, but noticeable. The second group of protestors was loud, rambunctious, disruptive and extremely rude. They were dismissed as being radicals and a nuisance before their message was even heard. It is always important to remember, particularly in a heated political atmosphere, that how you say something is often as important as what you are saying.
The third lesson is that there is a place for everyone in the political realm because it affects everyone's lives. It doesn't matter if you are member of a political party, a voter, an activist or completely withdrawn from politics - the laws that are made and the direction our country takes effects us all. If political parties, ideology, or individual candidates are simply uninteresting to you - please think about issues that affect your life on a day-to-day basis.
For example, protection of the environment. Last week, one of us was able to speak during Focus the Nation about the SGA's environmental initiatives. Lead by Policy Coordinator senior Nicole Svajlenka, they include short-term and long-term goals that range from a recycling initiative to investigating increased use of renewable energy on campus. We are passionate that we all need to make efforts to decrease our carbon footprint and that Colgate as an academic institution needs to take the lead in this effort. However, we are also passionate that the federal government needs to address this issue and lead the way toward smarter, more efficient, and cleaner practices.
To learn more about the SGA's environmental initiatives, visit www.ColgateSGA.com and to register to vote, visit www.RockTheVote.com.
