Letter to the Editor

To The Editor,

As you are no doubt aware, the election of the next president and vice president of LUCC will occur this coming Tuesday. Having seen student interest in LUCC grow with its importance on campus, I believe this election presents us with the opportunity to place LUCC firmly on the path of realizing its full potential—as a body that actively represents the values of the community it governs, works tirelessly to engage with and hear voices from all corners of that community, and strives to make a positive difference in the life of each community member. I am running for president of LUCC because I believe in that vision, and I believe my experience and values will allow me to make it our reality.

In my view, LUCC’s governing values must be grounded in social justice. I am proud to have played a lead role in opening gender-neutral housing to freshmen this year, drafting and disseminating GLOW’s List of Demands last winter, and working directly with the administration to achieve real inclusion for our campus’ marginalized communities. As president, I would seek to end LUCC’s accepted role as a bystander in fight against injustice and dedicate LUCC to the mission of transforming Lawrence into a truly safe and inclusive campus.

However, I understand the part of campus that is apprehensive about the mission of social justice. They are legitimately fearful for their freedom of thought, their freedom of speech, and the quality of their education. As the liberal arts tradition suggests, the voices of those who are concerned about the mission of social justice must not be excluded from the conversation. Instead, aspiring allies like myself must make it our mission to have these difficult conversations that welcome dissent. Addressing dissent in a constructive way is how we achieve consensus and obtain the best outcome for all of us. Having served in various leadership roles before and during my time at Lawrence, I know what it means to build consensus across differences. For the mission of consensus for real change, I ask for your vote.

Sincerely,
Dan Thomas-Commins ‘18
Chair, LUCC Residence Life Committee
Vice President, GLOW