College students are irresponsible. They don’t stand for anything. They waste all their time on Facebook or sleeping instead of getting involved in their communities.
We’ve all heard the classic stereotypes about American youth today when it comes to issues regarding society, government and current events. But the Elon University student body has the chance to break that stereotype, to break that bubble we’re always joking about.
Elon is full of extremely passionate and intelligent students who care about the world around them and want to enact change for the betterment of our community. There’s just one problem: We haven’t done much about it lately.
Last week, The Pendulum published an editorial detailing our stance on the proposal made by Spectrum, Elon University’s queer-straight alliance, to have Chick-fil-A removed from campus. Students and faculty alike were quick to voice their opinions about our stance on the issue, offering affirmations and criticisms of our editorial. We are lucky enough to attend a school that offers us the opportunity to express ourselves so openly, and this is a time when students need to take advantage of it not by just commenting on a Facebook status or answering an anonymous survey. Those are great tools for gauging feedback but not means by which a final decision should be reached.
The Pendulum is but one of many voices at Elon with an opinion about Chick-fil-A’s future on campus. And all of those voices can be heard at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in McKinnon, during an open forum with SGA about the fast food franchise.
But this is more than an issue of whether or not Chick-fil-A should be on campus. This is an issue of our generation using its voice.
We are the generation that dramatizes its own issues more than any who came before us. Whether its personal, professional, political or otherwise, we immediately take to the Internet to publicize our opinions and complaints. In this day and age, people are more likely to vent their complaints on Facebook or a new Twitter handle than they are to actually try and solve or address the source of their complaint. It seems that political upheaval is no longer sparked by word of mouth, but instead through posted messages on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. The Internet is a great place to spark discussion but it is important to remember the importance of face-to-face interaction.
How many great leaders would have been forgotten if they had stopped at only words? Would Martin Luther King have led the march on Washington? Would Harvey Milk have made in roads into government?
It is time to rise up from our beds and lounge chairs to let our voice be heard by those who stand to put your opinion into action: your SGA representatives.
One voice still carries power; it can inspire or dissuade, bring joy or cause despair. A student’s voice is their greatest weapon. But you cannot expect your voice to inspire change unless you are willing to act on it. Online activism may be able to gather support for a cause within a certain group of students, but student petitions alone aren’t enough to challenge unpopular policies. The only way to demonstrate real passion and conviction for a cause is to put in the time and energy to actually show up.
SGA wants to hear your opinion - in this case, they need it. They have taken notice of the reactions made on campus, but taking notice and listening are two very different things.
As much as it is a time for students to express their opinion it is for SGA as well. Rather than abstain, SGA reps need to take a stand and vote.
Everyone is well aware of the bubble that surrounds Elon’s campus. We take advantage of the tranquility and isolation of it and this makes us complacent. Take a chance and let your voice be heard. Pop the bubble.