EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in
Chief  Timothy Kudo
Managing Editor
 Michael Falcone
Viewpoint Editor
 Cuauhtemoc Ortega
Staff Representatives
 Maegan Carberry
 Edward Chiao
 Kelly Rayburn
Editorial Board Assistants
 Maegan Carberry
 Edward Chiao
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On May 10, 1972, the Daily Bruin printed an editorial like this
““ white writing on black with the headline
“Strike” ““ encouraging all Bruins to go on strike
as part of an anti-Vietnam war demonstration that would ultimately
shut down the campus that day. “Today is not the day for
“˜business as usual’ … reality is not whether you get
an “A” or an incomplete in French, reality is not
whether you graduate this quarter or not. Reality is whether you
will have anything worthwhile to graduate to,” it read. And
people responded. They demonstrated, they read, they wrote in to
the paper, they voted in elections. They made a difference.
Today, students complain that student government isn’t
visible enough. We complain that there isn’t enough student
seating in Pauley. We even complain that the new Daily Bruin is too
big to open in class. We’re missing the point. Government
isn’t just our elected representatives; it’s all of us.
This university is public, it’s supposed to serve us but
we’ve lost sight of that. We just don’t care
anymore.
These past few weeks, numerous student government candidates ran
for office unopposed and only 20 percent of students turned out to
vote. Why don’t most students on this campus care? After all,
there are important things happening right now that directly affect
us. The university faces severe budget cuts, overcrowding threatens
the quality of our educations, and an increase in student fees may
prevent some students from going to college. We have no voice in
decisions, and unequal access to education across race and class.
If you don’t like the system, change it.
Even if you don’t care about this university, things are
affecting the world we live in. Our country is fighting a war on
terror. Violence continues in the Middle East, and our government
is making important decisions you probably don’t even know
about, not because they’re not public, but because you
don’t care to take the time to find out. If Sept. 11 has
taught us anything, it’s that there are more important things
than getting “A” grades, attending parties or wearing
the right clothes. We must not forget.
It doesn’t have to be this way. You can do something about
it. You can join a club or run for office. You can read and respond
to articles in The Bruin or write them yourself. You can contact
your professors and administrators to meet them, and voice your
concerns. You could actually stop the next time you see a rally or
speaker on campus to listen and ask questions. You could cast a
vote in the next elections. There are so many ways to participate
““ but you’re not doing them.
If you go to class and sit at home every day watching T.V., ask
yourself: why? Are you happy? Are you satisfied? Most people choose
apathy because they find government pointless, are afraid to try
anything new, or are deterred by the notion that they’ll
graduate before any real change occurs.
These are reasons, but not excuses ““ and you know it.
Being a member of society comes with responsibility. At a
minimum, be aware and vote. You don’t have to dedicate your
life to politics ““ but you shouldn’t let others control
your life or anybody else’s. You owe that to the people who
came before you, and those who will come after you. If you
can’t do that now during your college years ““ when
learning about the world is a central focus of your life ““
what makes you think you’ll do anything later on?
Who you choose to be now is who you will become tomorrow. And
when you look back many years from now and ask yourself what good
you have done, what will the answer be? Someday you will graduate
from college and possibly be in a position of power. You may even
be a major player in our nation. And when that day comes, the
decisions you make will have further-reaching implications and
consequences than they do here now.
Every time you avert your eyes or ignore your civic duty, you
and everyone around you loses a piece of freedom and dignity. Both
this nation and this campus will continue if you choose not to
participate, but the larger question is: will they continue the way
you want them to?
Thirty years ago, the students of this university took
responsibility for the world around them, and the future they would
inherit. They thought, and they challenged each other to make it
better. It’s nowhere near perfect, but the will of people who
chose not to sit idly by has given us a world more equal, more free
and more just. We often talk fondly of past generations of activism
and social change ““ from the civil rights struggle to
anti-war protests. We admire those who stood against injustice in
the face of such opposition. It’s time to stop admiring.
It’s time to stop talking. It’s time to start
acting.
The editors of this paper, so long ago, called for a strike.
We’re asking students to strike again ““ to strike a
blow against apathy. This paper could be better. USAC could be more
visible and do more for students. Administrators and faculty could
invest more time and consideration in students and teaching. Our
politicians could be more honest and accountable. But none of it is
going to change unless we do it. There are a lot of problems and
somebody should do something about them ““Â you are
somebody.
We, the students and the future leaders of our nation, must
strap this civic responsibility on our backs and carry it as both
our blessing and our burden. May 10, 1972 was not the day for
“business as usual” on this campus, and neither is
today.
By JARRET QUON/DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF