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Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                Chris Elliott                        Zach Lee                  Christian Palmer
                Geronimo Rodriguez       Blake Whitaker       Kristen Young

This is how college is supposed to be

On Tuesday, nearly 50 UH students added their names to the quickly growing list of young people taking part in peaceful demonstrations about proposed immigration legislation.

We commend them.

Part of the debate over illegal immigration has taken place in the pages of The Daily Cougar, and we are happy to play a role in the marketplace of ideas that every college campus should be.

But as much as we rely on words here at a newspaper, actions really do speak louder.

And on an often painfully apathetic campus, demonstrations are few and far between. There are annual events that regularly garner protests or demonstrations -- Coming Out Day, for example -- but a demonstration organized somewhat extemporaneously around a hot topic of national politics is a rarity at UH indeed.

It has been a while since the Pro-Life Cougars erected massive pictures of aborted fetuses on campus, and for all the controversy, the disgust they inspired in many passersby largely got their message across.

But the Jovenes Inmigrantes por un Futuro Mejor and the students who joined them were taking a vital opportunity to express their opinions on an issue that will likely change dramatically in a short period of time, making their voices that much more valuable than those who express opinions on stalemated discussions.

College is a time and place for students to express their passion for whatever issues they feel strongly about. 

And if a true debate is sparked, students -- intellectuals -- may even come to change their minds. That is an integral part of open discussions.

Houston and the University are important places in the debate over illegal immigration, and that undoubtedly has something to do with student interest. But there are other things that affect UH students in major ways, and it would be inspiring to see students take such an active interest in those things as well.