Now in my third semester at Boston University, I’ve often found myself in a place where I wanted to submit a letter to The Daily Free Press, but have always passed on the opportunity in fear that I might upset or be shunned by the object of my critical remarks. I suppose now something has changed.

Last night I had the chance to listen to Ralph Nader speak about political activism and what students can do to change the political world. Through his rhetoric came a message that seems to be echoed relentlessly, but to no avail: Get involved. Such a simple message often falls upon deaf ears, though at a university level, there is no excuse for not getting involved.

I applaud the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center in its efforts launching the “Ready to Vote” initiative. It is now the time, and what better a time than in the year of a presidential election for Boston University students to respond to the political climate that will inevitably affect us. I urge all students to come to this series of events and learn about issues — the real issues that politicians often seem to overlook.

By avoiding making statements on record, I, and all people, achieve little influence. It is now time to ruffle some feathers and cause a reaction — quite frankly, time to make people angry. If this is the motivation required to achieve some sort of political pulse on campus, then so be it. To end on the same note, in the same words Nader used last night, “To know, and not to do, is not to know.”

Frank Pobutkiewicz

CAS ’10