I am a graduate student at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada where I study Documentary Media.  I am also the President of the Ryerson Students’ Union.  The aim of this column is to discuss openly, all of the major issues that are affecting today’s students.  This will range from the class room experience, social life, and topics beyond that.  I would like to discuss students, and their involvement with politics.

Too often students are criticized about being completely apathetic to the political process, both in Canada, and in the United States of America.  The main finger pointers that I have come across, is the flower power, Baby Boomer generation.  Back in their day, students seemingly had the power to move mountains.  They definitely had a major impact on The Vietnam War, The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Movement, and many major movements of that time.

Looking at the overall impact this generation had at that time, I can understand why the baby boomers feel that youths today, have not continued with their examples set in the seventies.

But, this is not the case.

For example, the American election of President Barack Obama.  It was through a massive amount, and ground breaking history of student engagement, with the electoral process, that this amazing victory was achieved.  The reason the record numbers of students coming out to vote was simple; Barack Obama sought them out, and presented his campaign to them.  He made them passionate about something.  More importantly, made them accountable for the direction of their country; where it’s been, and where it can be.  The idea that they, the students, collectively hold great power was the major draw for students everywhere.

North of the 49th parallel, we are still looking for our Obama.  This necessarily does not mean that we are looking for our first Black Prime Minister; although being a Black student in a University, I would definitely be okay with that.  What we are looking for, is a leader that we can believe in.  A leader that would not pander to us, but actually speak to us, empower us, and show us that they are in fact, the correct choice in leading our country.

Instead, we are relegated between a doughy version of a T-1000 as our Prime Minister, and an opposition party that has flip flopped, more then a fish out of water.  If politicians are able to organize around student issues of lowering tuition, smaller class sizes, and better funding for Post Secondary Education, they would get the student engagement that we have been missing since the generation of the baby boomer.  If the current guard of politicians continues to not serve the students, then it is up to us students to get involved with the process and shake up the system.

To want change is not enough.  We have to be willing to bring the change.