By now most of us are aware of the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan. Over 400,000 people have been murdered, 2.5 million have been displaced and it is still ongoing. Northeastern University strives to be among the very top colleges in America, yet fails to act decisively when it matters.

Striving for academic excellence is a great goal for any institution to have, but especially important is the moral compass that helps to guide such a path. Why have we failed to act when other schools have done so?

Local schools such as Harvard University, Amherst College and Boston University have already divested and still we wait. I have started a campus wide petition for Northeastern to divest from companies that deal with the Sudanese government.

I will set up an appointment with President Aoun, and when I do, he has to see that divestment is an issue the student body cares about. So if you can spare a second of your time, consider the idea of divestment, and sign the petition that will appear in the future.

Who knows – it might save a life.

– Ahmed DanSo-Saried is a sophomore criminal justice major.