INPIRG, the White House and IUSA

Ultimately, and deep down, we care. We care about the state of the world and we sympathize with other human beings, both at home and abroad, who find themselves in less fortunate situations. However, as a collective whole we are still in the process of aligning our emotions with concrete action that manifests itself on an everyday basis. This is only a problem if we do nothing.

If, as members of the student body at an institution of international and domestic influence and repute, we were to start the process of fusing this very action and emotion, I believe that as a result our potential to fundamentally contribute to the betterment of society would rise. In order to do so, we must make more effective collaborative efforts within our own IU community and throughout the wider sphere of universities in this nation.

But the question remains: how to coordinate and collaborate more effectively?
The avenue for this type of ambition would be student governance. IUSA, for instance, is recognized as the legitimate voice of the student body by the administration and, to them, carries significant weight and influence in name alone.

To illustrate the utility of employing student governance to effect measures of positive change, allow me to provide a concrete and contemporary example.

Recently, I received an e-mail from an Indiana Public Interest Research Group (INPIRG) representative. She was pleased to inform the wider community of university students and INPIRG supporters that the organization was to meet with top policy aids for President Barack Obama. The issue of concern: global warming; but more specifically, how our generation can further reduce carbon emissions. By extension, the dialogue will likely concern how to enact change on college campuses, not only across the state of Indiana, but across the nation as well.

In order to achieve these aims, university administrations across the country will need to reformulate and revitalize. They may be reticent. However, time is of the essence and fundamental reform is needed as soon as possible.

If student governance, here at IU and throughout the nation, were to collaborate and were to express solidarity (for instance, in support of the efforts of INPIRG), it would communicate a very strong message to both the administration in the White House, and to those across our campuses. We would be expressing a willingness and desire to change, and to change now.

This message can be created through the passage of a joint resolution that would formally and publicly link student governments across the state and, ideally, throughout the country. The resolution would be a collective demonstration of support for on campus reformation to combat carbon emissions and global warming. The voices of hundreds and thousands of university students would be demanding change.

And it would be nearly impossible to ignore.