I honestly never thought something like this would ever happen. And yet here I am writing this very article because I feel it is important for everyone to know. (Because everyone's voice matters right?) Amid great controversy, two institutions are in the crosshairs of public unrest, this unrest however is only felt by some in their tiny communities. As I previously wrote in my last article, disconnect between people in great positions of power and everyone else is never good.

One of those institutions is our Mount Saint Mary College. I really hope you didn't take my last article in a negative light (all 21 people who read it) because I meant it in a positive way for people in general whether it be students, faculty, whomever to find our voice and invoke positive change. To find our identity and be proud of it. But I digress. I wrote that last article-ignorant to any of the controversy surrounding our school as a call to action of sorts, yearning for change.

However, I had come across two articles over the past week, the first one written on Inside Higher Ed.com written by Colleen Flaherty which brought to light on a more real level the kind of disconnect I was referring to. I choose not to discuss the very ins and outs of this article because it involves very delicate subjects and I'd rather you, the informed reader, discover your own opinions about the issue. Regardless, this article brought many things to my attention, it was like I have said so many times in these articles or if you've ever held a conversation with me about these kind of things, this is the disconnect.

The next article from the Poughkeepsie Journal seems like a resolution of sorts because it solves the apparent problem...well, not quite. In this article written by Amanda J Purcell of the Poughkeepsie Journal, the repercussions of the first events are said thus seemingly successfully solving the problem. As if there was only one problem. Give them both a read, become an informed citizen, I dare you. Please. The purpose of my article here is for everyone involved in The Mount community, and this will make more sense should you read the two above-mentioned articles, to not let the above (whatever kind of huge mess you want to call that) define us.

Sadly, the views expressed by someone in a position of power by some people may be taken as the view of everyone, the rest of us. However, I think that is clearly unfair and the rest of us as the majority need to fire back. Because that is not our identity, our views, our voice, our opinions, and we do not want to be viewed in that way. Like I've said, "the best four years of our lives", We The People, have the very ability, the right, to change things should we choose to do so.

Together, we will create our own identity, our own voice. In this time of crisis, because it really is a crisis, we need to band together, stick our boots in the mud and push back, as a community and as one. This is our opportunity to voice our concerns, our goals, visions and dreams for our community. We will not be defined by these events. It is time for us to speak out and reflect our interests. I refuse personally to give up on my school, I love my school, I see its great potential, the great aspects it already has. Do You? Whether you be a student, a faculty member, or you just love our great community, I urge you to act on your ideas to invoke positive change. Times are changing, will you change with them?

Positive Change,

For the Rest Of us