Graduation is looming upon seniors, and several of us have begun the process of reflecting on our college careers. In college, we spend a lot of time learning and making ourselves into better people. One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had on this campus is being an activist for the queer community.
My queer rights activism career helped me find a place at UNI, create lasting bonds and foster intellectual growth. During my experience at UNI, I met wonderful people who cared about the community around them, but I also met too many people who didn’t care at all.
If there’s one piece of advice I would give before I leave this campus, it’s to become an activist for social change. More importantly, I urge students to fight the temptation to be apathetic about our community.
Some people have a hard time fighting the temptation to become apathetic and ignorant about social issues, or even the general state of our university. Our apathy becomes increasingly evident around election season, as we’ve discussed in the Northern Iowan many times before.
It was evident in our last student government election when only 1,180 out of 12,159 enrolled students voted. Unfortunately, it’s not just students that feel apathetic about community involvement; it’s a nationwide issue.
Most of the world’s problems could be solved if people cared more. If society as a whole cared about important social issues, we wouldn’t let people go hungry. In 2012, 49 million Americans lived in households that didn’t have food security, according to Feeding America. If 49 million people in the U.S. alone have managed to go hungry in a place with more than enough food, then we have an epidemic of apathy. Hunger is only one issue. There are hundreds of other issues we’re not doing anything about.
Let’s be realistic: According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.7 years. This means that you will likely live on this planet another 60 years, and for all 60 of those years, you will be stuck with other human beings.
I cannot fathom spending the next 60 years of my life watching other people suffer from inequality, injustice or failing to have their basic needs met without doing something about it. It is our responsibility as humans to take care of each other while we’re here. There are plenty of causes to support or become active in; you just have to pick one to which you can dedicate your time.
I am a firm believer in the notion that the purpose of life is to give life meaning. Why not use your life for the good of society? As university students, we have the privilege of getting an education. We need to put that education to use. Go out and make the world a better place, because your time is running out faster than you think.
