It seems as if the choice of Senator Obama to become the next President of the United States has aroused more controversy than I expected on our quite liberal campus. Actually, it hasn’t been the choice itself that is the subject of much questioning, but rather, it’s been the reaction of the student body to this momentous election that’s been under the microscope. Questions arise: did Whitman act in a sober, dignified enough manner?   Were we too partisan? And does this only magnify our reputation as an arrogant, leftist hotbed in an otherwise conservative town?

Firstly, I should say immediately that I do NOT believe the election celebrations were done out of any sense of malice, either consciously or unconsciously. I don’t believe that the supporters of the march/rally intended
to march through the community in order to insult the electoral prowess of the Greater Walla Walla area. I don’t believe that it was an overt attempt to dampen the spirits of whoever may have voted for John McCain, Bob Barr, Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader or any of the other candidates who ran for office.

Now, whether it did have this effect or not is highly debatable. According to a news article in the Pio, for example, there was at least one McCain supporter in the crowd (ok –– admittedly, way outnumbered, but still), and, from conversations I had (in the spirit of full disclosure, I’ll admit I took part in the march and rallies), I know there were also a few community members that joined in, as well as a few that looked on in support. As we marched, I was personally brimming with joy, and also hoped that community members WOULD join in. I hoped that anyone who may have been in or around the coffee shops, that anyone who may have lived nearby, who was interested, would come and voice their support with us. Unfortunately, without any direct and clear advertising (indeed, according to those who organized the event, it seemed like it was a spur of the moment idea), to an outside community observer, it must have seemed an exclusive, ivory tower event limited only to Whitman students.

Regarding partisanship, I believe that it may have been planned as a polypartisan approach to the election, but ended up as a purely Obama/pro-Democrat rally (this is only my belief, as I did not exclusively ask the organizers about this topic). That being said, I believe there were 3 main, very practical reasons to march downtown. First, we needed to stop by the Democratic HQ, which is located downtown. Second, downtown
is well lit, as opposed to the campus, which is largely dark at night. Third, plazas and city centers are where it’s at in terms of our romanticized ideals of revolution and change. Have you ever heard of a revolution
occurring in the suburbs? Of course not. Though downtowns have become outdated in terms of being massive population centers, they still function as focal points of immense social interaction –– that’s why we marched to the plaza downtown, under the large American flag –– it would have happened regardless of the campus’ location, even if we were in Olympia, or Seattle.

In short, I believe the celebration was deserved, just and wasn’t intended to harm relations between the campus and community members. But, it’s entirely possible that due to a lack of foresight, we may have done damage nonetheless. Regardless, I do agree that this victory means absolutely nothing if it is not followed up with action on the part of those who so vigorously believe in this spirit of change. If those of us who celebrated this victory fall back on our laurels, then it means that all that was fought for would have been in vain. The article I am responding to said, “politics should be about discussion, understanding and dialogue.”
I couldn’t agree more –– in the spirit of this (especially if you believe that we’re entering a new age of poltics), then we must move forward, and make sure this administration works for everyone. On a local level, we must take a more active interest in our community, and combat the image of being a mass of apathetic transplanted liberals. If you believe in change, then this is a step that must truly be taken.