Students rally around Obama

In Monday’s article “From City Hall to Assembly Hall,” the IDS Editorial Board voiced its frustrations regarding apparent student apathy in recent local elections. The board asserted that students “just don’t give a damn” and “are not active enough in their communities.” The fact that only 11 students showed up to vote at the Teter Quad polling facility seems to support this accusation. This dismal turnout can be partly attributed to indifference regarding local issues, but perhaps more pertinent is the fact that over the last seven years politics has been characterized as a dirty game of deception. \nWith the 2008 presidential elections less than a year away, students have a chance to change this perception by supporting an agent of real change, Barack Obama. Over the last six weeks, Students for Barack Obama has received unprecedented support, registering over 1,000 students all pledging to vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. Students have not only pledged their support but also volunteered their time. On three separate occasions, students have traveled to Iowa, talking to prospective voters and urging them to vote for Obama.\nObama represents change that students can believe in. By practicing a politics of hope, Obama has shown that he has the vision and the judgment to lead. Students are rallying behind him as the only major candidate who opposed the war in Iraq from the start, before it was popular or politically expedient to do so. He has been a leading voice in Washington on the genocide in Darfur. By traveling to the region, Obama has helped raise awareness and passed legislation working to end the bloodshed there.\nBy refusing to accept contributions from special interest groups or PACs, speaking clearly on the issues and rallying young voters, Obama represents a departure from politics as usual. Just as Obama chose to transcend the old ways of Washington, we students must heed the call and transcend perceptions of apathy and indifference.