Youth in action

Editorial From Staten Island Advance
Tuesday, February 18, 2003

It has become almost automatically accepted that young people -- high school teens and college students -- are an integral part of the problem of what has been termed "a crisis in democracy" in this country.

As is the case with the majority of assumptions, that one contains only a kernel of truth. Yes, only about 28 percent of all 18-24 year olds voted in the 2000 election, an oft-cited statistic. But, according to a recent study, college students are volunteering at an all-time high, up some 82 percent as a matter of fact. Students, in fact, the nation's youth of all ages, can be found filling plates in soup kitchens, cleaning vacant lots and other abandoned eyesores, planting trees and flowers in blighted neighborhoods, teaching English as a second-language to immigrants, volunteering at hospitals, in mentoring programs, delivering meals to the homebound, and involved in a host of other activities that benefit their communities.

In 2001, Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 850 college and university presidents, invited a group of students from across the country to a conference for a discussion of civic engagement. The 33 young people who participated represented a diverse cross-section of higher learning institutions, race, religion and intellectual interests.

Out of that conference came a written report -- "The New Student Politics," and something far more important -- a national action and involvement plan that was based on suggestions from the participants.

Service politics -- a melding of community service and political engagement in a way the "service" is not seen as an "alternative to politics," but rather as "alternative politics" is what emerged.

The Wingspread Summit -- the official name of the conference -- illustrated the power of student volunteerism, and the role that higher education plays in democratic life.

Over the next two years, Campus Compact will engage a quarter of a million college students as part of a substantial effort to support student civic involvement.

The kickoff for the "Raise Your Voice" campaign unfortunately was Sunday. While the majority of the country was either hunkering down for the opening assault by record-breaking snowfalls along the eastern coast -- or rain in the far western states -- "Voice" participants were not being deterred in their mission. By yesterday morning, weather-related states of emergencies were being declared in municipalities large and small, and everywhere there were youth lending a hand.

But it didn't' take inclement weather conditions to put the truth to the lie of our young people being self-absorbed and reluctant to help their communities -- just look around.

Snow and rain might have put a damper on the kickoff of the "Voice" campaign, but not to worry. It is a multi-year national effort being underwritten in large part by The Pew Charitable Trusts, a foundation that supports nonprofit activities in the areas of culture, education, the environment, health and humans services, public policy and religion.

"We are working with campuses nationwide to encourage college students to become active, informed and responsible members of their communities," said Elizabeth Hollander, executive director of Campus Compact. "It is our hope that through this campaign, students will heed President Bush's caution that we avoid becoming a 'nation of spectators.'"

We don't think there is much doubt that our nation's youth will answer the call to be more than mere "spectators."

One student summed up what appears to be the overall feeling of participating students.

"The Raise Your Voice campaign is about reminding us that we have a choice to make. We can sit back, wait and watch, or we can become informed and learn about the issues that impact our world," said Ben Brandzel, a student spokesperson. "With this campaign we are asking our peers to become involved in their communities."

The first "Raise Your Voice" event -- "A Week of Action" -- ends on Saturday, but there will be other opportunities in the coming months.

The next time you see a young person being more than a "spectator" through volunteer efforts, take a moment and express your thanks; you'll be speaking for whole communities.