Now that students are embarking on their third week at Western, it is time that students, faculty and staff think about what role they play in relation to the university as a whole.
Often times people see a university, in this case Western Carolina, as just a place where they go to class each day or where they come to see football games or play intramural sports. People often see WCU as a place rather than an institution.
However, Western is not just about maintaining a 3.0 and getting a bachelors degree, it is about building communities and families. Western is a place where students come together, to live, to eat, to learn together, so why shouldn’t students work together to make Western a better place?
Walking through the halls or waiting in lines of cafeterias, people are heard complaining about the campus food, about the parking, about the classes, about the dogs, about the residence halls, about this and that and that and this.
By the way these people are talking, it often seems they aren’t doing anything to solve their problems – they just want to complain to one another and hate their living situation, their learning situation, their college experience because they are too lazy to do anything about it. They are too self-absorbed and too self-interested to do anything other than complain.
There is so much that can be done. All that is really needed to make change is a few people who believe in the things that they aren’t afraid to say aloud. To make change all that is needed is passion and patience. If there are things on this campus that are bothersome, annoying, dismaying, aggravating or inconvenient, then talk about it. And don’t only talk about it to close friends, talk about it, write about it, join clubs, or even start clubs. Go to an SGA senator, go to the SGA president, write a letter to the Western Carolinian, or put up fliers.
Most importantly, just get involved.
The current population of Western Carolina will one day serve as the future leaders of America. If people see things on this campus that they want to change and all they can think to do is whine about it, then what sort of citizens will they be when they are out in the real world, paying taxes and owning homes?
What will they do then? Merely sit around and complain?
If one finds interest in getting involved in clubs or organizations on campus there are many from which to choose. You could write for the Western Carolinian, get involved with the Student Government Association, the Women’s Center, the Adult Learners Student Organization, and many more. If one wants off-campus volunteer work, there are possibilities in REACH, A.R.F, the Community Table, and more.
If people are tired of what they are seeing on campus or on a wider level, or if they are just tired of whining and complaining then they should get involved and make a difference. Everyone should remember that the key to change is patience and passion, not to mention voice. If one wants to be heard then sometimes it is important to scream.
