Staff Editorial

As President Barack Obama made his State of the Union Address in the House Chamber on Jan. 25, members of Congress came together in a picture of solidarity as Democrats clapped along side Republicans, ending the custom of divided seating.

“Beyond custom, there is no rule or reason that on this night we should emphasize divided government, separated by party, instead of being seen united as a country,” Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., who proposed the new bipartisan State of the Union seating idea, said in a press release.

Members of Congress broke the tradition of divided party seating to come together in a show of solidarity after the Tucson shooting that wounded Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Regardless of the motivation, the motion sends an important message: to face adversity and achieve progress, unity is necessary.

This year’s school theme, Innovation, urges our community to make progressive change. Indeed it has, with coed classes and schedule shifts making the 2010-11 year unlike any before it. In adapting to these adjustments, we must remember to present a unified front and set the precedent for the school’s future.

When implementing plans aimed at altering obsolete or nonfunctional methods, individuals of a group must put aside many of their own agendas and desires in order to achieve progress. Bitter divisions between parties caused displeasure among some members of Congress about the address seating arrangement, but most swallowed their objections and found “dates” from opposing parties. At this crucial time for our country, Congress is proving that it recognizes how having perpetual scruples accomplishes little.

Through communication and collective effort, the process of refining new experiences can be efficient and result in universally appealing change.