Issue date: 11/9/06 Section: Perspective

In last week's edition of The Progress, I read with interest the opinion of Michael Sheliga, who expressed his discontent with so-called "judicial activists."

Professor Sheliga's article bothered me for many reasons.

As a political idealist and aspiring public servant, I was troubled by his apparent disillusionment.

As a Student Body President who has made civic engagement a priority of my administration, I was disheartened to see an educator encouraging students to disenfranchise themselves.

As a Political Science student, I was further disappointed by the fundamental misunderstanding of the political process evident in Mr. Sheliga's writing.

My ego inflated by indignation, I decided I would take Mr. Sheliga to task. His letter, albeit satirical, showed ignorance. Containing multiple fallacies and several broad assumptions, I felt compelled to set the record straight.

Reflecting further, however, I came to a much different conclusion: I wish more people were like Michael Sheliga.

I feel as though his assessment of the courts is incorrect, but I also feel as though chiding Mr. Sheliga would perhaps have been something of a disservice.

On a campus where people seem reluctant to speak up, I decided to use this instance as an opportunity to encourage more people to do so, rather than to demonstrate my knowledge of stare decisis or the Judiciary Act.

Though factually incorrect, Sheliga did what so many members of our university community fail to do. He spoke out against a perceived wrong, and put his name behind his words.

In doing so, he made this campus a better place. Mr. Sheliga's small expression made Eastern stronger, because, to paraphrase Adlai Stevenson, where opinions clash, freedom rings.

I wish more folks would speak up.

I wish my constituents would let me know if they liked what I am doing or would rather have different leadership. I wish they would criticize the administration, or defend them, demand a copy of the university budget when tuition rises, or tell the Board of Regents they want President Glasser to stay four more years.

I wish students believed that they really can change things.

My student government career was launched two years ago as my friend Colin Reusch and I led an effort to overturn a particular university policy that we considered to be a form of censorship.

We wrote letters, staged protests, contacted the media, and practiced a little civil disobedience. We wouldn't stop talking until somebody listened, and the policy was overturned.

Today, Colin is my chief of staff. Sitting in my office after long days of policy and politics, we sometimes wonder if we're alone in our approach.

We wish our peers saw the work we do in that office as an affirmation of their ability to change the status quo. We wonder if they are afraid to do so.

"Don't be afraid to learn," Stevenson once wrote, "to read, to study, to work, to try to know, because at the very best you can know very little. And don't, above all things, be afraid to think for yourself. And don't be afraid of unpopular positions, of driving upstream."

To that I would add, don't be afraid to talk about it.

As the Student Body President, I make a promise to you: When you speak up for what you believe in, your voice does not have to shake.

When you speak out for what is important to you, you do not need to whisper. For when you stand up and speak out, I, and the Student Government Association, will stand with you.


David "Doc" Fifer, Student Body President & Student Regent

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