Party in the U.S.A.

Tuesday evening I had the privilege to attend a special viewing party and discussion at the White House for President Barack Obama’s third State of the Union address.

I’ve never thought of myself as a particularly political or partisan person; I was definitely one of the few independents in the room. But, first and foremost, I love this country, and I’m unapologetically proud to be an American.

I got chills when Obama declared, “As long as we are joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong.”

Despite constant partisan bickering from both sides of the aisle, I have never lost faith in America and what makes this nation great.

I have refused to be jaded because I truly believe in a better America — an America that prides itself on working hard to give each generation a better life than the one that came before it.

After watching the speech and speaking with some officials from the Obama administration, I came away with two take-home messages. First, education is important and vital to a better America. Second, we can do so much more together than we can apart. Obvious though these messages may seem, they really can’t be said enough.

Education is essential to the fabric of any great nation. It’s easy to underestimate this because investments in education don’t usually pay immediate dividends. But the long-term effects are impossible to overstate.

We must not allow our instant gratification-oriented culture to forget this. As students at a fantastic institution, we must fight to give others the same and better opportunities than we have had.

After the speech, I had the chance to talk with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for a few minutes. His main point seemed to be that good teachers and principals are vital, but having parents on board is necessary for educators to succeed with their students.

In his speech, Obama stressed working to get more Americans to graduate from high school. Duncan told all of us in the room that “Graduating from high school is just the starting spot. But without graduating high school, most doors are shut.”

Another basic but crucial idea I came away with is that we are Americans first, and Republicans or Democrats second. The best part about the State of the Union is that party allegiances are put aside for few minutes as everyone stands together to applaud our commander in chief.

To conclude his speech, Obama urged unity: “Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those 50 stars and those 13 stripes. No one built this country on their own. This nation is great because we built it together.”

I hope that he adheres to his own message, and I hope we at UNC do, too. Whether we’re arguing about the best way to trim the budget or who’s the best candidate for student body president, we must ensure that our major goals aren’t overshadowed by minor differences.

As the future of our country, college students should take this idea to heart, putting our country first, not just in our words, but also in our actions.

Imagine how powerful our country could be if politics and party lines were afterthoughts. Imagine an America focused more on moving forward and less on attaining power.

Imagine a nation that directed all of its skill, hard work and passion to our founding ideals. Not only can I imagine it, but I want it dearly. Throughout my life, I plan on working in any way I can to make it a reality. I hope you’ll join me.