Edit desk: Being an active citizen in our Lehigh community

Nowadays, we are continually urged to be “active citizens” and to stay “civically engaged.”

Without making the conscious choice to do so, I believe I have gradually taken on the role of being an active citizen, but it has taken acknowledgment of its importance to make the true difference. 

In elementary school, I, along with a few of the kids in my neighborhood, published our own community newspaper called The Wildflower News, named after our cul-de-sac, Wildflower Lane. 

We published multiple issues with short features about neighbors, seasonal recipes, comics and even a photo gallery of pictures captured with an iPod Touch. We kept the small neighborhood in the loop by distributing copies at Fourth of July parties and bonfire nights.

By instilling a sense of community in our neighborhood, we were able to knit this group together through news distribution. At a young age, I saw how language could tell stories and unify people.

During my senior year of high school, my peers and I developed a website called “Know Your Reps.” The website contained nonpartisan profiles of all of the candidates running in the town election, as well as a breakdown of the local government structure. This was my first look into understanding my municipal government and how much local politics influence our lives.

I found that coming to Lehigh and acclimating to the Bethlehem community was certainly an adjustment for me, and I still have much to learn about the community.

When the 2020 election occurred during my first semester at Lehigh, feelings of anxiety and anticipation hung in the air for weeks. I excitedly cast my first ballot, in what felt like my first true, tangible contribution to our American democracy. 

Being in Pennsylvania during the tumultuous waiting period as votes were counted was a surreal experience. It opened my eyes to the intense polarization of the state and the country at large—something that I never truly witnessed in my home state of Connecticut. 

Now, halfway into my sophomore year of college, I have learned much more about the community I live within, as well as the effects of my decisions—both direct and indirect.

During the past fall election season, I volunteered for candidates in the Northampton County race as well as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court race. We went door-to-door, interacting with citizens and handing out literature. We asked about what mattered most to constituents, but generally received their apathy in response—this is expected after months of an exhaustive pandemic and political polarization.

As Lehigh students, we must recognize the effects of our institution on the greater community. Though we may see first-hand the expansion of our school and celebrate its growing reach, we must understand how this impacts all of the citizens of Bethlehem, particularly those living on the South Side.

Just the other day I walked into Coppee Hall for The Brown and White’s editor bootcamp. On the wall of the front entryway, in bold letters, is written: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

I sent a picture to my family to show them what I was up to that day, to which my dad responded “#firstamendment.” I laughed at his response, but found the wall’s statement important and symbolic of the work being done by this generation of journalists.

The reality is that we are lucky to live in a nation where we are free to express our opinions, voice our grievances and use the power of language for a cause bigger than ourselves. 

I have found how important it is to take the time to learn about the community around us. We must learn about the local culture, listen to the people who have lived here their whole lives and respect the issues that are pressing to them. 

The term “civic duty,” can be broad and daunting. Yet, it is important to start small in order to understand one’s place in this bigger community. Use your voice for those who don’t have one and start to grasp an understanding of the issues that need to be addressed. 

If we are to enjoy all that our school has to offer, we all need to be active citizens in the community around it as well.