Letter to the Editor

*All views expressed in the opinion section are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Salemite

ABIGAIL GREENE

In my readings of the Salemite this year, something has stood out to me. Just by looking at article titles like, “HOLA stands with immigrants” and “Ethnic cleansing in Buddhist Myanmar” as well as a quick glance down the “This Month in History” column, one thing is very clear; leadership is defined by choice to do what is right, not the ability to tell people what to do and have them listen. As the once great Dumbledore said, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Continuous improvement. Always working to be better than yesterday. That’s what I hear being yelled at me every morning as I listen to my “Fearless Motivation” albums. I don’t struggle with drive, motivation, or even pushing myself harder every single semester. What I struggle with is helping those around me and not becoming selfish on my climb to the top. Salem prides itself on crafting character and molding leaders. Salem is our leader, and our ability to be the leaders the world needs is dependent on what we learn from our leader. Providing some sort of student insurance or reimbursement plan is a priority. Yeah, on paper it looks like the majority of students will be able to afford or have access to health insurance. But paper doesn’t show you the sacrifices and the decisions that have to be made to make it through college financially.

As Marshall Mathers says, “I’m not a rapper, I’m an adapter, I can adjust.” Salem, you should take this words to heart. Instead of getting rid of the health student health insurance plan when acts of the Obama era were passed, we should have adapted the student health insurance plan. As a leader, demonstrate that your constituents should have access to the means necessary to take care of themselves, not just on paper but in reality. Show us that a good leader does not forget about the individual needs and struggles of their people. Show us that that the legacy of a leader is not determined by rank or power of its offspring, but by the ability of its leader’s offspring to adapt to the needs of their people and make providing for them a priority. Afterall, how good can a leader be if they suddenly find themselves with no one to lead because they stepped on all of their people?