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Posted on 10/01/2001 7:45:03 AM PDT by NorCoGOP

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- This week, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a crowd of 400 showed up for a rally against war. "Nerds Against War" demonstrated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University students used music to react to the media's handling of the terrorist attacks. Boston College, too, held a student rally.

These are only a few examples of the many colleges and universities across the country that are organizing rallies and demonstrations in reaction to the country's response to the Sept. 11 tragedy. However, despite meetings and rallies that may be in progress, the campus of West Virginia University starkly contrasts the above scenes.

And we all know what silence means. It means consensus. But it is impossible to think that all 22,000 plus students who attend WVU feel the same way about things. Which means there is no reason why WVU shouldn't be on that list.

There has always been a lack of activism on the WVU campus. That is due, in large part, to the fact that largecampuses such as ours often operate in a bubble. It's no one's fault really, just a result of so many students in the same small town. The line between campus life and personal life becomes increasingly blurred.

Occasionally, students will rally for a cause on campus, but a demonstrations of broader concerns are rare indeed. And that's unfortunate.

We go to college to get an education. But in the midst of our hitting the books, it is also important not to forget the value of getting involved. If we don't know what is going on in the world around us, how can we expect to operate in it? If we are afraid to share our opinions for fear of what others may think, how will we ever distinguish ourselves from our rivals, our competitors?

On Sept. 11, the bubble we live in was burst. Though the attacks were a catastrophic occurrence, they also served as an opening for students to raise awareness, emphasize beliefs and exercise free speech, regardless of what stance we choose to take.

Other universities have already engaged in healthy debate and demonstration. WVU should follow suit. Returning back to the bubble will only result in a suffocation of ideas and a further sense of apathy. And who would rally for that?

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