Answering the call

The Issue: Obama calls for a new spirit of responsibility What we think: Don't let the enthusiasm slip away

As with so many of his speeches, Barack Obama's victory speech was steeped in the tradition of the great American orators. With explicit references to John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, and language borrowed from Martin Luther King, Jr., Obama tapped into some of the formative ideals of the American public and showed us again why he has inspired so many.

But though the words themselves may move us, it is the content of the speeches that commands our attention. As pundits debate whether Obama will fulfill the great promise of his call for a different kind of politics, we must consider our own role. He is the president, but he is still just one man - it is only through the support of all Americans that he can claim the transcendent role he talks so eloquently about.

In 1960 (an election many have compared with the 2008 election), Kennedy told the nation to "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." The country responded, and thousands of young people helped make the Peace Corps one of the most successful public service organizations and one of the lasting legacies of the Kennedy presidency.

With this in mind, consider the words of Obama, who told thousands in Grant Park, "This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other."

As the generation without families to feed, mortgages to pay, and older parents to take care of, this message is directed particularly at us. This election saw a resurgence in youth participation. Whether you were happy or sad on Tuesday, chances are you were paying attention. We can't let go of that enthusiasm; if we do, we will be right back where we started.

So how to be this change - how to let our energy, faith, and devotion light our country and illuminate our world? It starts with civic engagement - knowing and caring about your community, voting, participating, and following the news.

But for those feeling a particular call to serve, there are so many other opportunities. It shouldn't take a miserable job market to get students to consider programs like the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Peace Corps, Teach for America, or other programs. If the spirit moves you, go online, do some research, and sign up.

As students and graduates, we will rarely, if ever, have as much flexibility as we do now. At this time of great change, we may regret it if we don't seize the moment and take advantage of it.

So today, ask not, but do.