Our Voice
It is said the truth will set you free. So here goes: most people our age just don’t care. Wait, that’s not the truth: that’s a fact. Don’t believe it? Look around. All around. A prime example would be that our very own university. Constitution week was a bust. The Free Speech forum started out with a room full of people, but, supposedly after one of the professors told the students that if the students present were not really there on their own accord and will not verbally participate, the students could then leave. Most of them left. Some people stayed, but the majority left. It’s an utter disappointment in that when opinionated college students are finally given the floor, most decide to run away.
Another example would be the American Democracy Project’s Times Talk discussion every Wednesday. They offer free pizza to lure in the starving college students in exchange for discussion. But apparently pizza just doesn’t do it anymore because the discussions, while interesting, only engage a few students.
This week SGA held a student forum, a town hall type of event, where students (Yes, YOU!) could complain to SGA about issues in the school. It was your excellent chance to discuss anything in forum that just might get something done about it.
Is parking making you angry? Complain away. The dining hall needs to change it’s menu? Complain away. Does priority registration for student athletes seem unfair? Complain away. Just complain your way to the forum.
Did you go? There were flyers, chalk and Facebook invites everywhere. You probably knew.
f you didn’t go, not all hope is lost. You could always send a letter to the editor.
Ah, but another dilemma, that requires sitting down on the computer and typing a document on one’s own free will. And lazy college students would rather tackle one of the editors and demand that something be done. And when we tell you to write a letter, it’s like we’re telling you to part the Red Sea.
But sadly, the fact is that most college students just don’t care. And our bet is that very few students will actually go to this forum, or any other future forums, discussions, and other events that need student opinion and require active participation.
We wish it was otherwise. Because we’re not the only ones that care. And yes, there are a lot of students out there taking a proactive stand, but for most, unless it is absolutely required of them, we will only hear about the real issues as a side note to everyday conversation.
Being apathetic and not caring at all, is perhaps, not the worst of things, but it’s definitely a path that will lead there. We know that the student body is bright and promising and we know you have opinions. Share it with the world.
Elie Wiesel, a famed humanitarian and novelist, summarized what is probably the best way to address the situation at hand: “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 12 2007. Filed under Opinion, Our Voice.
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