Being at a liberal university definitely has its perks. There’s no shortage of events to attend that focus on community engagement and educating oneself on what’s going on in the world. Being surrounded by like-minded people who challenge you to put your best foot forward and be an engaged citizen, regardless of what side of the political spectrum you fall is important and a valuable attribute that SLU offers. To put it simply, it rocks… most of the time. There is, however, another side of the story that is much less talked about that deserves to have light shed on.
This double-edged sword is very real and something that often goes untalked about. While it’s amazing to be offered all of these chances to learn and grow, there can be a bit of an “all or nothing” mentality. I love discussing politics, social justice issues, and engaging in dialogue, but in order to not get burnt out, I cannot commit to doing that all the time. My loyalties to my beliefs are present in every part of my life, even if I am not actively on the front line protesting or trying to convince someone with an opposing view why I see my opinion as “right.” I love going out to eat, to see movies, talking to my friends about silly or lighthearted subjects, and recognizing those activities as just as valid to the human experience is important. We must not adopt the attitude that one “cares less” just because they cannot be outwardly civically engaged all the time, or that the way they care about issues close to their heart looks different than how you choose to be engaged. It really comes down to understanding the journey of others. Every college student comes from a unique mix of socioeconomic, racial, cultural, and lifestyle factors that play into an individualized background and when you’re thrown into an environment where you’re surrounded by completely new and unfamiliar backgrounds, it takes a bit to adjust. We may be used to our peer group either being super involved, or not involved at all. We must also understand that it’s not our sole purpose to spread our agenda to every person we meet in every setting. It’s just as valuable to be able to read the room, understand your audience, and be able to discern what topics are appropriate to discuss.
Important to remember everyone’s journey is unique. Not everyone wears their opinions on their sleeves, or with a sign or at a march. It makes a person no less passionate about their beliefs if they aren’t out there voicing their thoughts for everyone to hear. We need the thinkers, the protesters, the writers, ….If everyone is yelling all the time, it just makes a lot of noise. Some people need to internalize, think things through and it just isn’t their nature to put that out for all to see. We need to trust that those quieter folks will be there when it counts, acting on their convictions in everyday life, which is every bit as powerful as carrying a sign or engaging in a debate.