Exemplify the Activism you’d Like to See.

It sounds simple. Exemplify the activism you’d like to see. But it’s easier to say than be, and we have far too many talking heads which is not what we need.

Right now, I’m busy. Very busy... Okay, not as busy as some, but I’m averaging about 3 hours of sleep per night - which is my limit.

I am running for the Associated Students position of Off Campus Representative with Student Voice, a progressive coalition of campus leaders. The reason I am running is simple - I want a student government which is more active than reactive. I don’t just want to recycle our waste, I want to reduce it. I don’t just want resolutions against hate crimes a few weeks after each incident, I want proactive measures to create safe spaces. I don’t want to have to receive petitions in the arbor every time an issue comes up, because if that happens it means we’re protesting and reacting rather than actively setting an agenda. The fact that I need to be a part of protests to get my voice out there means the system as it stands fails to represent me, and I want to change that.

Tomorrow night I’ll preform in Take Back the Mic - a Take Back the Night event of spoken word, music and story telling which aims to bring awareness about sexual violence and aid the community in being proactive in preventing it.

Thursday there are several events I’ll be working on. First I’ll be off to the No on Hate march which seeks to raise awareness of the recent hate crimes in our campus community, until we admit our school has a problems it’s rather hard to address them. Then I’m going to be supporting the arts by MCing an afternoon Open Mic in Davidson Library for national poetry month. And later that night I’ll be going to Take Back the Night’s March. Somewhere in there I’ll be going to class too...

Friday I will be participating in National Day of Silence. Day of Silence seeks to bring awareness to the problems of social discrimination in our schools, an issue which is so often silenced by homophobia. If you think that this isn’t an issue consider the fact that less than a week ago an 11 year old boy committed suicide in reaction to being bullied regularly and being accused of being gay. One in three LGBT youth have attempted suicide. In 30 states in our nation you can be fired for being gay. And in 46 states same-sex marriage isn’t recognized. The fight for marriage equality is important because legal inequity is intolerable - but we cannot forget the students of today are the citizens of tomorrow. And if we can’t provide safe spaces in schools, where can we offer safety? I wouldn’t know what to shout into a microphone if I were asked why this is a problem because there’s so many reasons and few are willing to listen. Even while in a progressive university, we’ve got hate crimes in our community, we too should be reflecting - we’re guilty too.

This Sunday I’ll be at UCLA for 1Fest to celebrate the fight for civil rights, marriage equality and the artistic community that is a part of the struggle. Live music, information booths, politicians and activists will all contribute so that we can actively come together as a community energized, motivated, and with a sense of direction on how to work towards civil rights. The fight for civil rights and equality should not just be seen in angry protests, but also through positive community events such as this. I’ll also be volunteering with some Stanford activists from the Emma Goldman Society for Queer Liberation to work on a Vow Not to Marry ring campaign where participants pledge not to marry until everyone can do so. (I’m already wearing my ring if you ever want to see it.)

And on Monday, I’ll be back on campus working with Student Voice trying to get progressive leaders into positions on campus where they can actively enable organizations.

Am I doing everything? No I’m not. I can’t. I’m still a full time student with hundreds of pages to read, I have papers to write, and projects to do. I still need to eat, sleep, and have enough downtime to recharge to keep myself active. But I do what I am able to. Apathy and inaction are the greatest threats to societal progress. It doesn’t matter how much you are able to do if you’re unwilling to act. It doesn’t matter what the best green technology is unless we’re using it. And I could not stand with a clear conscious before a mirror if I were to ignore the problems I see in favor of a pleasurable apathy. If you’re interested in learning or attending any of the events written about here please check out the following links or send a message to me!

Be actively present!

Urvi

STUDENT VOICE Silvergreens Fundraiser - Wednesday on Pardall
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=71083390771

Take Back the Mic - Wednesday night IV Eclectic on Pardall
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=55913806500

STUDENT VOICE Deja Vu Fundraiser - Thursday on Embarcadero del Mar
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=91395497523

No on Hate Rally - Thursday in the Arbor
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151384660161

Open Mic Poetry Event - Thursday in the Library
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=61085528380

National Day of Silence - Friday EVERYWHERE
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=13588438490

STUDENT VOICE Berrilicious Open Mic Night - Friday night Embarcadero Del Norte
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163309975017

1FEST - Sunday afternoon at UCLA
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=65066260818&ref=ts

Emma Goldman Society for Queer Liberation
http://www.stanford.edu/group/emma_goldman/cgi-bin/site/index.php