This week, the University of Pennsylvania said goodbye and good luck to the class of 2003. Graduating seniors looked to enter the job market with some of the best skills and preparation money can buy. Most of the time, their situation would be an enviable one. Most of the time, it would not be out of the question to expect that qualified Ivy League graduates get jobs.
This is not one of those times.
The so-called Ivory Tower, while able to shield students from most of the ills the world has to offer, cannot weather the effects of a steadily tanking economy, as well it shouldn't.
The University of Pennsylvania has long endured an identity crisis, struggling between its liberal arts ideal and its pre-professional reality. But whatever side you are on, it is widely recognized that the goal of any college graduate not headed for graduate school is to get a job. It is an undeniably bad sign when the economy struggles to provide this.
Fortunately, we have the opportunity to effect change. Unfortunately, we have squandered this opportunity for too long, focusing more on that next midterm and giving in to generational apathy towards politics. When we ignore politicians, they ignore us. There is no reason for us to do this and still expect to be served once we graduate.
As college students, we represent a largely underutilized demographic, and that needs to change immediately. Make your voice heard. Question your Senators and Representatives on their voting record on issues that pertain to you, and if they cannot answer adequately then vote them out of office. Organizations like the Committee of Seventy at www.seventy.org make it easier than ever to register to vote, and also provide pertinent election information. With these resources available, there is no excuse not to get involved.
We can no longer sit idly by and pretend that the ups and downs of politics do not affect us. It may be easy to forget during those golden college years, but politics matter. We need to make our voice heard. Until we do, we have only ourselves to blame for a negative outcome.
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