'Die-in' success

By Editorial

You may have noticed last week a group of 45 students lying on the lawn in front of Benson Memorial Center.

While it may have seemed that they were dozing off for an afternoon nap, they were in fact doing the unthinkable at Santa Clara.

That is, having the guts to take a stand on the issue of war that has the country deeply divided.

The "die-in," which was organized by Santa Clarans Involved in Socially Responsible Solutions, sought to represent the victims lost in global atrocities such as the Iraqi victims of war, as well as those lives overlooked in certain parts of the world.

We believe that this demonstration has a positive affect on the level of political discourse on this campus, which has traditionally been very dry to almost nonexistent.

While it may seem illogical to try to draw a comparison between an hour-long demonstration and the accumulating Iraqi deaths, it is at least necessary to recognize the global impacts of war, something as students we tend to overlook.

This "die-in" is a way to expand our consciousness beyond campus.

We are in a bubble, surrounded by expensive palm trees, ornate shrubbery and a police palace across the street. The closest thing to immorality is in our weekly campus crime reports.

Therefore, we should become more active by engaging in political, social, and global discourse. Just because something doesn't directly affect the Santa Clara student body doesn't mean it should be completely neglected.

What we found to be unnecessary on certain students' parts were the stares, sarcastic comments and laughs during the demonstration.

Although some students may think of the "die-in" as a ridiculous act to support a political agenda, it is at least noteworthy to recognize the participants' courage to stand up for something others chose to disregard or accept blindly.