AU students are loud. When we have a problem with the administration, politics downtown or something across the country, our voices are out there. Protests happen so often on our campus that they almost begin to feel dull.
Our school recently took back its “Most Politically Active Students” title according to Princeton Review. This secures our confidence, but the trick is to do more with our ranking than simply bask in its glory.
One would think that in the midst of this political election all college students would be in the forefront of the debate. Many campaign issues affect us directly. We are a demographic that candidates reach out to.
However, we often fail to reach back.
After speaking with college students outside of the “AU bubble,” I noticed that our generation isn’t loud. Friends told me they were going to blindly vote like their parents. Most said they would not vote at all.
As politically active students, we have to take charge and inspire others to become informed and involved. Although many feel like politics are hopeless, students can show they care through voting and writing letters to senators. The “most politically active students” shouldn’t be okay with apathy.
Staying active can be hard. Most undergraduates experience the “bubble effect.” Between school, work and our social lives it can be hard to reserve extra energy to talk about the controversial issues that directly affect us.
But let’s face it: AU undergrads are not average. Even in our “bubble,” we are still connected to the world. We are debate-starting political animals who love to have an opinion. All of this passion will be wasted if left to sit inside the “bubble;” it needs to be shared.
During this political season, AU students are going to feel like this election is the only thing that matters. But, we have to remember our friends back home are not living in the center of the political universe. They too will be affected by what happens this November.
AU students love to make a difference. This political season, let’s try to do so not by making our voices louder, but by raising voices across the country.
Rachel Lomot is editorial page editor of The Eagle.
