Speak up!

There are situations that arise on our campus which stir up controversy, which cause emotional reactions, and which can have negative effects on the sense of community on which we place so much value.

Problems have ranged from flag demonstrations to prioritization decisions to the termination of faculty for sexual orientation. They are not new issues in today's society, yet they are topics that continue to be difficult to address. Especially within a small campus like EMU, feelings can be hurt and people find it too hard to talk. We sweep things under the rug, avoiding them rather than being open with each other. This has got to stop. The Human Sexuality Dialogue Committee (HSDC) has shared a list full of events and places in which to discuss topics of a sensitive nature. They have been working for the last year to do this for our university.

One of the virtues of community is the ability to love and respect all its members. Each person should be willing to share their thoughts while also being willing to keep an open mind towards the thoughts of others. For all the emphasis EMU places on community, there is not a lot of that give-and-take happening. Granted, not everyone has the ability to say what they want to say. There are persons whose hands may be tied, rather, their lips sealed, by the positions they hold. However, that is why it is so important for those who can speak to do so. At some point we must stop keeping our views to ourselves and/or limiting the sharing to only those in our immediate groups. That moment is right here, right now.

An arena has been created for a necessary conversation that this community has avoided for far too long. Attend more events and speak up. Realize that everyone's opinions, including your own, are valid. This is not a call to change our minds but instead to change our perspectives and our actions. The changes are in seeing EMU for what it is--an open space for dialogue with each other--and acting upon that new point of view by participating in the forums we have. Besides the campus-wide events scheduled by the HSDC over the next few months, there is a place for your voice that has been in existence for 66 years. The Weather Vane can be that place, if you allow it to be. Everyone is free to share thoughts through writing letters to the editor or articles for the opinion columns.

Situations are happening in our community reminiscent of past troubles, like the non-renewal of Ken Roth's contract, and there are new and current issues, like the prioritization process its subsequent recommendations. Regardless of the subject, there are words to be said. These words can only be said if we take only take the initiative and say them. We all have voices now is the time to use them. It is time to speak up.