In the wake of the Holocaust, the phrase "never again" has been evoked time and time again in regard to letting such a horrific catastrophe happen again. Yet happen again it has, in forms ranging from the Rwandan genocide of 1994 to the current and ongoing crisis in Darfur, Sudan. Over the past year, there have been numerous events on campus encouraging us to take action against this crisis. Many, if not most, of us are aware of the basic fact that government-sponsored Arab militias known as Janjaweed continue to murder, rape, and rob their fellow citizens. Approximately 700,000 have already died; more than 10,000 are killed every month, a number which has little changed since the marked beginning of the crisis in January 2003.

In addition, over two million Darfurians have been displaced within their own country, with 250,000 more fleeing to the neighboring country of Chad. Conditions in internally-displaced-person camps within Darfur and refugee camps in Chad worsen on a daily basis. Extremely limited access to food, water, and medicine coupled with the Sudanese government's obstacles toward outside humanitarian assistance make a dire situation almost impossible to deal with, for Darfurians and for aid organizations. Additionally, there is the devastating psychological impact on people who witnessed the burning and pillaging of their villages, then uprooted their families with no sense of when, if ever, they will return. President Bush made a step in the right direction by terming the violence and aggression in Darfur as "genocide" last September, but this past year has seen only an increase in the severity of the crisis, with not enough action by the government or students. This is completely unacceptable.

In Spectator during just the past few weeks, there have been over a dozen articles, editorials, and letters to the editor published regarding the new Baker Field alcohol policies. In the past year, Spectator has published exactly two student editorials concerning Darfur-both in September 2004. This should not be taken merely as criticism but as a call to action. Last weekend's boycott at Baker Field was successful in calling attention to a questionable policy and allowing students a participatory role in changing that policy. There is no reason why the same energy and collective action should not be used to address this serious humanitarian crisis.

How? The written discussion in the public forum of this newspaper ought to continue. We need to be continually updated about the crisis and discussing appropriate measures of action. Reuters reported on Friday a comment from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres that Darfur is "a forgotten crisis." The region is expected to deteriorate into complete instability if no intervention occurs. How will we, on campus, know and respond to the situation if it's not regularly brought to our attention?

Then educate yourself. Web sites like http://www.savedarfur.org offer constantly updates on the situation and serve as gateways to many organizations addressing it, from access to written resources, to places to donate money toward relief efforts and buy merchandise like T-shirts and green wristbands to raise awareness.

There is an even easier action you can take: pick up the phone and call your senators and representatives. Last week began a national call-in campaign for Darfur. Members of Congress, returning from recess, are being bombarded by the news that their constituents care about the situation in Darfur. They are pressing Congress to pass the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, which has broad bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, by the time Congress adjourns in mid-November. Thousands of phone calls from around the country will make it impossible for legislators to ignore the issue. Among other things, this legislation recognizes the continuing genocide, calls for an expansion in the size and mandate of the African Union to protect civilians and aid workers, and demands U.S. and U.N. sanctions against Sudan. More information is available at the Save Darfur Coalition's Web site.

If you can't call today, do it sometime this week. We have the opportunity to make "never again" become more than just a trite phrase repeated without action. Start today. It's your call.