By Jessica Stark
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Monday, April 10, 2006, The OG, opinions

Today is the National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice. Across the country, students will walk out of their classrooms to protest HR 4437, a bill that, if signed into law, would turn all illegal immigrants residing in the U.S., about 12 million people, into felons. Today's protests follow http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060410/ap_on_re_us/immigration_protests >Sunday's rallies on behalf of immigrant rights, which drew hundreds of thousands of supporters around the nation.

Although it won't technically be a walkout, Uni's Activism Club will take a group of Uni students to the Quad during lunch for a rally at noon. And, conveniently, students will be back at school in time for their next class.

Although there are some students who would be willing to accept the strict consequences they would face as a result of skipping class to participate in a walkout, most Uni students place academics above everything else, even above demonstrating for a cause they firmly believe in. How do you go about striking a balance between academics and activism?

For each student, there is a different answer to this question.

For some, even the thought of having to miss school makes them anxious. Is my math grade good enough that I can afford to lose those participation points? Will I be able to catch up if I miss a day of history? This classic Uni way of thinking prevents some students from participating in such events.

Conversely, for other students the opportunity to get involved in a good cause is infinitely more tempting than another sleepy day at school.

So who's got it right?

Personally, I think that when you are truly passionate about a cause then you won't mind risking your reputation for perfect behavior to get involved. And really, you shouldn't be getting involved simply because you can; you should be knowledgeable and sincerely interested in the subject instead of just jumping on the bandwagon.

Uni's strict unexcused absence policy helps people figure out which issues they are truly passionate about and discourages other not-so-passionate students from participating in events just to get out of class. So choose your battles wisely, and you shouldn't run into any problems.