Remember

Hello PTSP. This is Dom, Vice Chair 04-05 and Academics Coordinator 05-06. Glad to see that we are getting a lot of participation on the blog!! I'm excited!

I wanted to post about my background and experience with PTSP first, but being that it is Martin Luther King, Jr. day, I thought I'd post about that. His actual birthday is January 15th, but for some reason we don't celebrate on that day any more. So on the day we observe his birthday, I wanted to shout him out and remind people of the relevance of his work and how it relates to our work today.

Last night I saw the History Channel documentary, "KING" which "focused on the man, rather than the legend." I was really inspired by what I saw. Dr. King was passionate, and selfless about his work. He and so many other people put their heart and soul into the civil rights movement, and despite the hatred and bigotry they faced they succeeded in making progress for the people.

We are on a similar path today. Our country is restless and we are ready for a change. But it will not be easy. Obama’s campaign energized America and on the verge of his inauguration, it is crucial to look back on the civil rights movement and Dr. King's work. Theirs was a labor of love, and patience. Change was not immediate, and it came with many hardships. In a world of instant gratification, this is what we must understand. Just because Obama is in the White House does not mean things will get easier. We have to ready ourselves for the tough tasks ahead. And we have to remember that one man is not going to change things, WE all have to be part of the change.

How does this relate to PTSP? As former and current PTSP members we are agents of change. I think we tend to forget the impact we have, and can have on the community. It’s easy to lose perspective of the work we do, and our potential amidst the stresses of school, work, and life. But keep in mind that we are capable of making change.

With that said, I’ll leave you with this.