4E reached out to Alex Villec (COL ’13) for a statement on Congresswoman Giffords’ resignation. Villec interned for Giffords and  witnessed the shooting last January which left the Congresswoman in a coma.

As gridlock and partisan intransigence define business in Washington, Congresswoman Giffords’ miraculous recovery points to something different. Her story isn’t just uplifting because it calls attention to deficits in civility and pragmatism that weigh down our debates. For me, what happened on January 8th magnifies the question of how we ought to spend our fleeting gift of life. I’ve started to consider whether we too often overlook chances to create value in the here and now. In a minute, you can try something new, make a friend, or put a smile on someone’s face. When resumes and cover letters make the next five years look like a scary black hole, try to remember that it only takes a second to make somebody’s day better. Beyond fighting for future generations, that’s what Gabby does every day, and I think it’s worth bearing in mind.

File Photo: Meagan Kelly/The Hoya