October 13, 2026
Samantha Laurey/USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
Former President Joe Biden encouraged University of Delaware students to view America's 'messy' democracy as a 'gift' in an op-ed he penned for the school's student newspaper.
Former President Joe Biden penned an op-ed for the University of Delaware's student-run newspaper, offering advice for college students amid the United States' divisive political landscape.
The Review published the editorial Tuesday on its website, but the newspaper runs print editions a few times per year.
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"As you start a new school year amid an undeniably turbulent time for our country, I wanted to offer some reflections that I hope encourage you to see the messy state of our democracy not as a burden you'll bear, but as a gift you'll inherit," Biden wrote to students at his alma mater.
Though Biden has been a regular figure on campus since he graduated in the 1960s, an op-ed from the president is rather unusual. However, he's no stranger to making his thoughts known in print. The politician has published similar opinions on the state of the government, the conflict in Ukraine and the Supreme Court in the New York Times, Washington Post and McLatchy Newspapers.
In this op-ed, Biden noted that during his time as a student, the United States witnessed the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, and was in the throes of unrest from the Vietnam war. However, he also pointed out that much positive change came from young people.
He urged students to use their degrees to become informed, responsible citizens, and to prepare to "lead the country out of the darkness." He encouraged them to debate fellow students with different opinions, read flyers from groups with differing views, take classes on democracy, attend on-campus events featuring state and national leaders and vote.
"Your generation is the best educated, most talented, least prejudiced our country has ever seen. I know you're trying to make sense of all that's unfolding around you," he wrote. "And I won't sugarcoat it — these are dark days. But America is one of the only countries in the world that time and again has come out of every crisis we faced stronger than when we went into that crisis. And throughout our history, it's been young people like you who have chosen to act, to pull us back from the abyss."
Biden completed his undergraduate degree in history and political science from the university in 1965 and received an honorary doctor of letters degree in 2004. Throughout his career, he's been a strong supporter of the university. He's delivered commencement addresses, been inducted into the Alumni Wall of Fame and made a speech on campus one week after the Sept. 11 attacks.
He most recently visited the campus in September to host an ice cream social for students alongside former first lady Jill Biden.
"I got to spend some time talking with these students, and I mean it when I say they're our future leaders," he wrote in an Instagram post about the visit. "I can't wait to watch the impact they're going to have."
