A student of the University of Central Florida submitted an open letter to his fellow students – and the newest generation of active voters in America.
Political efficacy among millennials has been a priority for cities and universities across the country, UCF included. The letter addresses the precipice that students face in this 2016 election and is transcribed below:
To my peers:
All 63,000 thousand of us share a common bond – we all attend the University of Central Florida. We have all been instilled with the uniqueness and the privilege of being a Knight. The sense of grit and courage I have witnessed throughout my time in this school has been contagious. It has been inspiring. And it has been life changing
I have spent the last five months, working countless hours, every single day, to help elect Hillary Clinton President of these United States. You may know me as the face of her campaign on campus. Some of you may like me for it and some of you may not. But I write to you in these final days of the election as your peer, not as a partisan campaign staffer.
I, like you, am an infant to the possibilities and the understandings of the world. We are at this awkward stage in our lives where we are transitioning, at times with hesitation, from young people to adults. But if there is one thing I have learned throughout my transition, is that our future must be fought for, by us. We can no longer be the “entitled” millennial generation that those before us seem to suggest that we are.
It is time we accept the baton of America and start leading with a sense of responsibility and humility. We are becoming the brightest minds of our society. We are innovative, we are persistent, we are compassionate, and we are also forgiving. But sometimes we can be careless. Sometimes we can be too risky. And too much is at stake in this election for us to sit back and watch it be decided for us.
Marriage equality, women’s rights, an inclusive working economy, student loan and debt reform, climate change, and most importantly the integrity and moral compass of our country are at stake.
I have woken up every morning for the past five months with one goal – elect Hillary. This has been the journey of a lifetime. I have learned more than I could ever imagine. I have had opportunities I could have only dreamed of six months ago. But the best part of it all was the people I met along the way.
One of those is our inspirational immigrant peer who is protected under President Obama’s Dream Act. She has nearly a 4.0, works two jobs, and has lived in this country most of her life. But unfortunately, she becomes at risk of being deported to a country she barely knows if the opposition wins. There is also the Muslim American student I met last month in the Student Union, who in tears told me about how she fears being hated or shunned because of her religion. Or simply, the countless students who have expressed their fear of having hate, divisiveness, and intolerance become the norm of their future.
But right now, at this very moment, we have the opportunity to reject that kind of ideology. We have a chance to define our own future and build a world where our Muslim peers do not fear retribution because of the way they pray. We have the chance to continue echoing the principles and values that our first African American President embodies; integrity, humility, and unity towards all.
I have had the honor to work alongside some of the most brilliant and carrying minds. Together, we were able to build a true grassroots campaign movement on this campus. A movement we will look back on 20 to 30 years from now with gratitude and a warm heart knowing that we were a part of standing on the right side of history. We registered thousands of you to vote. We have shared small talk that sometimes leads to disagreements but never division. We shared tears, hugs, and even very personal stories.
Since the start of this campaign, thousands of hours have been put in by UCF students to elect our first Madam President. If that is not a campus movement, I am not sure what is?
History has shown that every so often, generations find themselves at a crossroad, women fighting for the right to vote, the civil rights movement, marriage equality, and now us. We have the chance to move history in the right direction by standing with a leader who has actually fought for us. Someone who has proven time and time again that no matter how many times she gets knocked down, she will always get right back up. We are also being given the unique opportunity to “shatter the highest and hardest glass ceiling” by being the generation that elects the first woman President; someone who happens to be the most experienced candidate to ever seek the most powerful office in our land.
These moments do not come often. Being able to shape our future with a vote does not come often. But we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by the noise. We have to stay focused. What has happened in this election is not politics as usual. It is not normal. It is erratic. It is unconscionable. It is dark. And we cannot succumb to it.
UCF: I have never been so optimistic that we will choose, as the young people and the future of America, to stand on the right side of history. It is who we are. It is who we ought to be. So go vote. Go have your voice heard. Go shape the future of America. And let us once and for all reject the hate and cynicism created to divide us.
We are Stronger Together.
Manny Orozco
–
A student of either major party, third party, or none, may submit an open letter in a professional, well-written format in addition to the student featured above. The letter may represent any side and may be emailed to news@knightnews.com, so as to create a fair representation of the ideals of students at the University of Central Florida.
