Lauren RabainoWow . has it really been just three years? It seems like ages ago that I was a timid freshman trying to navigate my way around campus. I could have never imagined that I’d be where I’m at today, scheduling committee meetings in between classes and introducing myself to various administrative bigwigs. It boggles the mind. And to think that it all started by just attending one club meeting .
A San Diego State study released Feb. 26, 2007 found that today’s college students are “more narcissistic and self-centered than a generation ago.” This is obviously fueled by the likes of MySpace and YouTube, but our generation is also more involved in extracurricular activities than any previous generation. On average, students continue and even expand their extracurricular involvement when they move to college. But how will our generation be remembered? Will we be the generation that apathetically accepts the current state of things because we’re too busy looking in the mirror, or will we be the movers and shakers whom our modern times so desperately need?
It is undoubtedly crucial for students to find their niche on campus. Most of us only get one go-around on this college experience, and we need to make the most of it. Follow your passions. Find those clubs that interest you, or create a new one. I’d always had an interest in renewable energy, and I was very fortunate to stumble upon some student groups that shared a similar interest.
During my second year, I happened to notice a sandwich board on campus advertising the Hydrogen Energy Club. I decided to go check it out, and found myself to be the only non-engineer at the meeting. Things went well, though (we toured the Sierra Nevada Brewery and the Chevron Energy Solutions Headquarters), and through it, I heard about the formation of the Empower Poly Coalition. I was intrigued and began attending those meetings, and soon enough I found myself to be a part of the group. I had arrived on campus not knowing what “sustainability” even really was, and after immersing myself in the movement for months, I became a board member. Now I cannot write with enough sincerity that I am inspired every day when I skate to school just knowing that I have a purpose on campus.
So if you have issues with the way things are done on campus, then change things! Don’t acquiesce! As paying customers, we have the power to shape this institution. We are presented with so much opportunity in this microcosm known as Cal Poly, even if that window is only open for four or five (or six or seven) years. It is painful to see those students who simply go to and from class, not caring enough to involve themselves in much of anything besides a weekend Beirut tournament. If, as students, we don’t involve ourselves in the campus decision-making processes, things will be decided for us. The fear is that once you step out of that role as a cynic and become an activist, you are held responsible for your actions.
On Saturday, the Empower Poly Coalition will host the second annual Be the Change conference, a sustainability-focused student leadership training. Throughout the day, students, faculty and community members will lead workshops, lectures and activities on various aspects of activism. Students will not just learn the logistics of making change on campus, but will also develop the fundamental leadership and communication skills critical to becoming effective community leaders in the future. The conference will be held in and around the Business Silo (Room 213) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided, and all attendees are encouraged to BYOM (bring your own mug). Hope to see you there!
Ben Eckold is a business junior, a member of the Empower Poly Coalition and an environmental columnist for the Mustang Daily.