As all of us travel up and down St. Charles and Claiborne avenues, Magazine Street and every other well known street; we are inundated with the same signs again and again. “Now Open” is screamed from signs on restaurants, banks, grocery stores and more. They are calling out to us that they are open and ready for business.

However, the call of “Now Open” has taken on a new meaning in New Orleans. With the turmoil of levee rebuilding, neighborhood revival, FEMA trailers and political catfights, are we really “now open?”

Are we open for a real change in our city and open for being a part of it? I believe we are, and we need to make our presence known. I love being on our campus hearing the political debates and creative ideas develop. I love hearing our young minds turn and turn, searching for innovative ways to help our city. I love hearing words like levee boards, city council and elections being used in every day conversation. But, talking is just that, talking. We need to make our presence and voices better known to our leaders.

Taking a look at Mayor Nagin’s “Bring New Orleans Back” team, I noticed the lack of youth. Youths bring with them a passion possessed by no other group. We are full of energy and passion that cannot be bottled up, and it has to be used now or it will fade away.

This is going to be our city for the next 20 years. Our children will go to school here, our lives will be built here. We will choose to work here, we will spend money here, we will buy homes, and we will be the future New Orleans that everyone is talking about.

Our leaders need for us to vote them into office and keep them there. I call out to all college students, graduate students and even high school youth. This is our time to be involved in our city. The choices made now will affect us and determine our quality of life here in the Big Easy. Make your leaders aware of the fact that we are a force to be reckoned with, and we want a hand in planning this new New Orleans.

I have seen crews of us in the city. We are cleaning up trash in the streets and rebuilding flooded homes. I have seen us at restaurants and bars spending money, which the city and businesses desperately need. The schools opened up and we immediately returned. We have shown that we are open for restoring New Orleans. We have shown that we want to be a part of it.

Now it is time for our leaders – all the way from the dog-catcher to Governor Blanco’s desk – to be open for our ideas, input and help. Young New Orleans, let’s keep being open to change and make our presence known.

Christopher Gross is a first-year law student from Kenner, La.