To many Suffolk University students, the months since President Donald Trump’s inauguration have been a blur of tweets, truths, back-to-back controversy and history-altering decisions that will likely affect the nation for years to come.
To some, this year wasn’t sectioned into seasons but rather punctuated by whatever the top story of the month dominated their mind the most. To others however, the days go on as they always have – interrupted only by issues they find to be the most pressing. One thing remains consistent among these three freshmen as they navigate their first year at Suffolk: whether or not they have an opinion on any matter, it’s impossible to escape unscathed in a day and age like today.
For freshman political science major Josh Roulier, it’s less about what issue is close to his heart and more about what’s most pressing to the people at large.
“There’s no particular issue I focus on,” said Roulier. “I worked with a state senator over the summer and touched on a variety of different topics from foster care to animal welfare.”
Roulier said that with his work, he’s able to focus on the bigger picture of politics.
“I have a broader approach that applies my perspective to a variety of issues across my senator’s desk and across my homepage,” said Roulier.
For other students, getting involved isn’t so easy. Joao Souza is a first-year student majoring in radiation therapy. Because of this, he has a lot on his plate. Souza also doesn’t have a lot of strong opinions on the world at large, choosing to focus on issues that resonate with his own values.
One thing Souza has an opinion on is prison reform – a belief reinforced following the brutal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was killed Aug. 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I was really taken aback by the fact that the killer had been released 14 times,” said Souza. “There should be more prison reform nationwide. To some people, going to jail is oftentimes better than their alternatives of living on the street. Maybe there should be stronger punishments or maybe better mental health systems, but something needs to change.”
Souza said that the assassination of Charlie Kirk has also been prevalent, not because he’s interested in the issue, but because everywhere he looks, there’s something about it.
“It was just really surprising, and there’s so much media coverage that you can’t really escape it,” Souza said.
He explained that he had also seen the video and that it had “messed him up.”
“Then again, I never really had a strong opinion on him anyway, just that he didn’t deserve to get shot,” said Souza.
For most of his life, Jack Jamoulis had little interest in politics. His interest arose when he first took AP government in high school, learning the intricacies of democracy and the roles of the government. Now, as a freshman business major at Suffolk, Jamoulis has decided to join the Suffolk Democrat Committee.
“I started seeing people I know & online spewing offensive takes, but I couldn’t combat it because I didn’t know the facts,” said Jamoulis.
Having now taken up a stance on issues he once dismissed, Jamoulis now finds himself in the company of the Suffolk Democratic committee.
Lately, Jamoulis has taken up his own views on an Israeli-backed congress.
“I am appalled at the number of U.S. Officials who are lobbied by Israeli interest groups,” said Jamoulis. “Conservatives constantly push talking points that America is too globalized and we should be more isolationist, while at the same time supporting sending billions of dollars to Israel every year. That money could be going towards American needs like healthcare or literally anything else.”
Since developing a new outlook on the world, Jamoulis urges other students to do the same and get involved with politics.
“I think everyone should be involved. If you have an opinion, you should express it. If you don’t like what this administration is doing, you need to speak up because people are getting hurt. People always say they try to avoid politics, but you can’t. Politics is your life. They are the rules by which the game is played,” said Jamoulis.
Everyone has a unique way in which politics impacts their lives. For many young people, it is becoming an increasingly important issue and Suffolk students are no different.
“I would encourage everyone to remain vigilant about what they say and understand that everything online is said with an underlying objective and agenda,” said Roulier.
