Since arguably 2016, and more agreeably 2020, it’s become practically impossible to escape the constant noise that is our political climate.
While we can recognize the chaos outside of the political sphere, with the way things are rolling, the concept of “everything being political” feels truer and truer each day. We can remind ourselves to remain positive, to boost unity within our communities, to push through what is hard to swallow. But finding the time to relish in enjoyment can feel practically unattainable.
With the Drake Relays here, the celebration of the year has arrived on campus. Festivities of all kinds engulf the University throughout the exciting week. We see accomplishments in athletics, parties all week and activities to satisfy every student.
Yet, do we feel satisfied with ourselves? While we wait in excitement, watching our clocks tick down the minutes until it’s acceptable to start drinking during a weekday, people in the Drake community and across the country face struggles as a direct result of our political climate.
While this climate is draining and desensitizes us to the brutality we see every day on social media and platforms, it also provides us a chance to look inwards and reflect on how we act as individuals. We can then take our individuality and apply that to the broader idea of community and coming together.
A concept that I’ve been thinking about a lot recently has been the idea of “what are we supposed to do about this? I have to work, I have bills to pay, this isn’t our fault.” While this is certainly the case for many Americans, it gets sticky when there’s guilt involved.
Many intersectional activists have shouted the claim that these types of reflections should make you uncomfortable, and that personal guilt should not be put on anyone else.
While these types of claims can always be situational, I like the idea of recognizing the guilt that can come with being in a privileged situation, and then using it to empower yourselves and others.
Guilt might come to some of us this Relays season. It’s impossible to write this while not acknowledging that we will be missing one of our very own Drake students this year because of the conflict in Iran. Declan Coady was a student just like any of us.
We are entering a territory unknown to many of us. Do we continue to act like everything is normal when it’s not?
Maybe we take our fears and frustration and wring it out — take this wet rag we’ve been given and wring out all of the frustrations onto a surface to dry up. When something is left wet, mold is more likely to grow.
By recognizing our individual guilt and resolving it into progressive work and positivity, we can then shape our communities into the change we wish to see.
The Drake Relays gives us this opportunity to showcase all of the joy we still have to be thankful for. We are granted an education, a community and a week to celebrate that with one another. A world without joy is a world in which the ones who try to take it from us have won.
A community divided is a community vulnerable; we are always as a people stronger together. Find community, and have those tricky conversations together.
