This is something that A LOT of organizations are feeling. You can argue that its this post- Prop 2 environment where people feel disconnected to the community or you can argue that in a Recession era, people are more focused on what they can do for themselves. I don't believe either argument. We simply as a collective of campus leaders aren't investing the time in cultivating the next gen of student leaders. Its not our faults. But there is more that we can do ourselves.
Probably the most difficult thing about this is that in cases where the information is actually useful, you still won't get a turnout. Its like the old saying "you can lead a horse to water but can't make them drink". We'll at Michigan it seems you can't even lead people to the water for themselves. One of the things I think the next group of campus leaders will absolutely need to do to communicate its message to the incoming class as well as the '12 is create new medium for advertisement and interpersonal connection. Quite frankly, Facebook and Emails are played out. Maybe we should return to the methods of personal flyers and phone calls reminding people to come out to an event.
So do we need to take on the role of being "Our Brothers/Sisters keepers"? Yeah...
Quite frankly...we are spread to thin.
There is something exciting about Festifall as a sophomore or freshman when you see all that you have to choose from. You put your name on a ton of email lists only to find that as your college career progresses, you just can't do it all.
Now there are those of us who let our apathy, concerns for our own orgs, or perhaps ill feelings keep us from campus events even when we have time to go, but the honest to goodness truth is that there is just too much going on. We are all selfish, don't support each other, and there simply are not enough people to go around and continue like we do. The more and more things happen the more and more people cannot seems to have a large crowd for events they say "actually matter". I'm just wondering at what point do we stop pubbing so hard and having ten events on the same day and say enough is enough. Do we really dislike each other so damn much we can't figure out how to do this? Why do we consistently put on the same event ten different ways instead of just doing it together? Why do we hold events when we KNOW another one is going on and then just try and out pub people? Why in the hell can we make to events that don't benefit our intellect, spirituality, academic well being, etc in any way, but don't miss a beat on a party, pagent, show or anything else of the sort? Competition is no longer healthy when it chokes the life out of the people who are competing. I'm tired of it. Not angry, but quite honestly very tired. We've all got too much to do. Too many jobs, too much homework, and too many classes. We are sick, struggling, and stressed and don't have anything to show for it because we can't even make the events we slave for as big as they should be. That and we're so busy doing what we think we have to (running around like chickens with our heads cut off) we can't even be happy...or healthy. One of my friends said the best decision she made was going ghost from the black community. That's a damn shame! Its awful that people have to disappear just to be ok. That and we're so sectioned off there are people active in orgs that I have never seen before in my life!!! Now...by no means do expect to know every black person on campus, but I am tired of talking about the good ol days (which apparently began to die my sophmore year and are no where to be found anymore). I am not ranting, I am honestly, sincerely, and humbly asking anyone who reads this or is tagged to share this with people and actually think of what can be done. Respond! I don't care if you think I'm full of it, don't have a point, or agree completely, but at the very least...please talk about it! Because if something ever happens and we need it each other...it might be too late to deal with by then. We need each other now...and don't even know it.
Whatever the case...there isn't anything uniting us anymore.....
I ran out of tagging space...please share this....
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