Getting involved could have positive effect on campus

Editor,

Tuesday's Daily Lobo featured several letters to the editor along a similar theme: The administration needs to pay closer attention to the needs of students, faculty and staff and engage them in determining priorities.

There can be no doubt that we face tough and uncertain times, not just at the University, but in our broader communities as well. A stronger dialogue can only help us through these times. It is my belief that we have two choices in our approach to meeting the challenges we face. We can come together in a spirit of mutual support and cooperation, fully engaged in a call to service that I believe is the heart of the mission of the University, or we can proceed independently into the unknown, each of us hoping we can get through these times without the help of anyone else.

I will place my security in the power of people working together for a common purpose. It is a spirit that I encounter daily in my interactions with the UNM community, and it is one worth preserving. If you find yourself unhappy with things as they are, get involved and make your voice heard. With the talent and energy on campus, we can make this institution be anything we'd like it to be.

From ASUNM, GPSA and student clubs to Faculty Senate and Staff Council, there are considerable opportunities for participation. From writing letters to demonstrations, there is no shortage of ways to give voice to your opinion. Service and leadership are natural outcomes of a willingness to try to make the world better. Have no doubt that it can be done.

While history is littered with people who tried to bring change and failed, it also shows us again and again that change does come. To be successful, I believe we must approach our problems and each other with empathy and compassion. We must educate ourselves on the issues - they are seldom black and white. We must strive to find common ground, support each other and stand resolute in our determination to bring out the highest and best good in one another. Even a small step has an impact. Make the step and get involved.

Elisha Allen

UNM staff