Creative Commons

The Trump Administration issued an executive order last year banning travel from seven middle eastern countries. Students pulled together to form a Facebook event for a meeting of solidarity to show support for students of all faiths, held four days later after the order. The students’ show of support encouraged me, and I notified the Facebook group that I would attend.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned students were at the University of Evansville. While USI put up signs that said “You are welcome here,” there wasn’t much active gathering for this cause.

The University of Evansville has a student body of around 2,500, whereas the University of Southern Indiana has a student body of over 11000. Why is it that with a student body that is four times as large in my time at USI, have I never seen students organize a movement, march or protest staged on campus?

I would like to see what gets USI students fired up. After the recent Parkland shooter, student leaders stepped up to the plate speaking in front of news teams, talking to public officials and inciting protests. These students are making a call to action.

What are we going to do about it?

I don’t care if students take to the Quad in support of gun rights or in support of gun control. I don’t care if it’s as a sign of solidarity to the parkland students or just because they can. I just want USI students to get fired up about something.

While some students will pass through USI campus, earn their diploma and get a career in their field, others will use this time to discover what invigorates themselves. I hope to see students who are passionate about women’s rights, gay rights, religious freedoms, personal freedoms, wages, world hunger, taxes and war make our quad their stage for change.

The question is, who is going to step up and lead?