Listening to Bill Clinton speak last Thursday and sitting in on part of the Student Senate meeting on Friday, I remembered why I avoid politics and political discussions at all costs. First, while I do have strong beliefs on many subjects, I am not always comfortable or knowledgeable enough to defend them.
Second, it is oh-so-frustrating to watch sides debate, because, in the end, we all generally want the same things.
We all want quality and affordable health care and insurance and education. We all want a better economy. Every one of us wants a positive end to the war in Iraq, whether that means withdrawing now or later, and whether or not you think we should have entered it in the first place.
The entire USM community wants to see a balanced budget; wants to see faculty maintained and students succeed and programs flourish.
We’re all wondering who our next president will be, we’re all curious how the new curriculum will turn out, and I hope we’re all wondering how departments and students and faculty and staff will respond to “The List” issued last Friday that put 26 academic programs on “probation” with the threat of suspension.
The concerns of students regarding “The List” were evidenced by the length of their discussion: the Student Senate meeting began at 4 p.m., and after listening to and discussing the announcement, they began their actual agenda at 6:30, half-an-hour after the meeting was scheduled to end.
Speaking to Craig Hutchinson and Bob Caswell (the vice president of student and university life and the director of public affairs) after we left the meeting, I was happy to hear that they do see hope — but the ball is in our court, as Caswell put it. By “our,” I mean yours and mine.
Until April 1, students, faculty, staff —- everyone involved in this university and those threatened programs must come together across all dividing lines and realize that in the end, we all really do want the same things: funding, successful programs, happy people, etc.
Perhaps that means following Jenn Cote’s advice and convincing undeclared majors to declare one of the “listed” ones. But probably it just means speaking up – and more importantly, listening to each other.
I don’t have the answers for how to solve the issues facing bi-partisan America or the troubles facing our own microcosm of it, but I’m confident that someone — or ones — of us do.