What is libertarianism about?
To this day, I am baffled to see that the AU Students For Liberty (AU SFL) has grown from an unlikely idea into a passionate and ever-expanding club. Two weeks ago we traveled to the Philadelphia Students For Liberty Conference, and I was thrilled to have The Eagle’s Graham Vyse come and shed some light on the philosophy of freedom. In many respects, as Graham wrote, one can say that as “true” libertarians, we “want government out of [our] lives in every respect.”
But what does it really mean to be a “true libertarian” these days? In the sprawling liberty movement, propositions to create a free society are endless; some people invest in a third party, some want a laissez-faire society, some are constitutionalists, and the list goes on. Yet these labels say little about what we have in common.
What motivates us is not merely a desire to fight government policies. For libertarians, capitalism is not a system of power or oppression; it is a framework for government by the voluntary decisions of people and not by the point of a gun. Money cannot be racist, sexist or otherwise prejudiced. It is a means of exchange that gives society more than opportunity and prosperity: the lens of the free market is the most humane way of looking at the world.
Without our consent, we can never be obligated to bow down irrationally to another man for the sake of his whim and we can never force someone to do the same. We own our lives, and no iron curtain, tank or army should ever change that. Liberty is premised on mutual respect, on the greatness of one individual’s potential to make the world better by striving to help himself and his family. Liberty is a celebration of life. It runs in many directions in our think tanks, universities, and policies, but it gains its inspiration from one well: the belief in human dignity, intellect and self-respect.
As an extension of this movement, our club is more than a veneer for philosophical squabbles or petty fantasies. The AU SFL is vibrant and diverse. But at its heart, it is guided by a willingness to protect the most fundamental human life and liberty that we all hold true to ourselves.
Irena Schneider President, AU Students For Liberty
AU is still financially solid
On Nov. 19 and 20, the Board of Trustees met for its annual fall meeting. Over the course of both days, news was breaking out of California, where students at UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UCLA had been protesting tuition hikes by staging sit-ins across those campuses. The University of California system is in dire need of funding for its schools and has resorted to fee increases. Although AU is a much different institution than the state schools of California, I am happy to offer a student perspective on the strong position of our university reported at the recent Board meetings.
Because AU is 94 percent tuition-dependent for its operating budget and due to the large size of the freshman class, we are in a strong financial position. We are one of two private universities in the country to have our credit rating boosted by Standard and Poor’s in the last few months. This is enabling the university to make aggressive strides on the initiatives of the Strategic Plan. Of course, larger numbers of students dictate increased services and a larger faculty, but our university’s leadership is responding in positive ways. Tenure-track professors are being hired under shifting incentive structures to do more research and yet maintain high-quality teaching. Our provost, deans and the Faculty Senate report that new initiatives are underway to enhance AUs reputation in the academic world by vigorously applying for research grants and awards.
Other progress is being made. The Board was led on a tour of the new SIS building by Dean Goodman. Needless to say, when this building opens its doors in May, students will be stunned and pleased. The beautiful new atrium is exquisite and looks onto a campus that has seen much change in the past few years. Despite all the progress and work toward a brighter future at AU, there is room for greater student participation in Board matters. The Board oversees President Kerwin and the university’s senior officers, and, as such, it makes great efforts to listen to undergraduates, graduates, and law students. Over 40 elected and appointed student leaders represented you throughout the course of Board committee meetings and the full Board meeting. Nevertheless, as the student member of the Board, I plan to work with the SG, GLC, and Student Bar to offer more opportunities for students to meet with the trustees in the spring, and I hope that a broader group of students will take advantage of such events.
Interested students can visit www.american.edu/trustees to learn more about the Board’s recent activities. To add, the application for the next student trustee will be released shortly. AU does not intend to increase tuition and fees to the degree that the state schools in California are, but there are other challenges students currently face about which the Board would be interested in hearing from a new perspective.
Seth Cutter Student Trustee