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Editorial: Stepping stones to public service
Issue date: 1/22/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
01/22/09 - On Jan. 20, more than a million people flooded the National Mall in Washington D.C. to watch the 44th president-elect of the United States take the oath of office.
More than 500,000 of those people were there at the break of dawn in below-freezing temperatures just to catch a glimpse of Barack Obama on a large Jumbotron screen.
What Obama has done for the first time in a long time is achieved the ultimate fervor that every president and leader dreams of. This man became not only a politician and a leader, but a rock star that day.
While he outlined many of the country's problems in his inaugural address, he put a strong emphasis on the importance of national service.
"What is demanded of us now is a new era of responsibility-a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task," he said. "This is the price and promise of citizenship."
This was reiterated in Obama's short speech at MTV's Inaugural Ball in regards to the younger people of America - college-age students who hold the future of the country in their hands.
When Obama spoke about this, he didn't just mean that more students should become informed politicians and public policy makers. He also meant that they should take the first step toward being involved in the future of America - by being as involved here at places like the University of Rhode Island.
On Jan. 28, the URI Student Senate declaration period opens for at-large, college representative and the president and vice president seats.
Want to change the world? Start with the university. The Student Senate is the best place to invest time if you want to take action on something you're really passionate about.
This is what Obama meant to inspire - people taking a hold of their lives and making the most of their opportunities as citizens of this free country.
Every year, the voter turnout for Student Senate elections is not what it should be. People talk about change and what needs to be done at this university to make improvements. It's one thing for students to talk about it and a completely different thing to actually do something about it. It doesn't matter what major or plans students may hold-it's time for the younger generation to step up to Obama's challenge and prepare for a future of fighting for what this country needs.
More than 500,000 of those people were there at the break of dawn in below-freezing temperatures just to catch a glimpse of Barack Obama on a large Jumbotron screen.
What Obama has done for the first time in a long time is achieved the ultimate fervor that every president and leader dreams of. This man became not only a politician and a leader, but a rock star that day.
While he outlined many of the country's problems in his inaugural address, he put a strong emphasis on the importance of national service.
"What is demanded of us now is a new era of responsibility-a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task," he said. "This is the price and promise of citizenship."
This was reiterated in Obama's short speech at MTV's Inaugural Ball in regards to the younger people of America - college-age students who hold the future of the country in their hands.
When Obama spoke about this, he didn't just mean that more students should become informed politicians and public policy makers. He also meant that they should take the first step toward being involved in the future of America - by being as involved here at places like the University of Rhode Island.
On Jan. 28, the URI Student Senate declaration period opens for at-large, college representative and the president and vice president seats.
Want to change the world? Start with the university. The Student Senate is the best place to invest time if you want to take action on something you're really passionate about.
This is what Obama meant to inspire - people taking a hold of their lives and making the most of their opportunities as citizens of this free country.
Every year, the voter turnout for Student Senate elections is not what it should be. People talk about change and what needs to be done at this university to make improvements. It's one thing for students to talk about it and a completely different thing to actually do something about it. It doesn't matter what major or plans students may hold-it's time for the younger generation to step up to Obama's challenge and prepare for a future of fighting for what this country needs.
