I've known for a long, long time that I was going to be writing this column. Not just a column, but a column about this particular topic.
The idea has been rolling around in my head for months, and now the time has come for me to put what I have to say down in print.
The thing is I really don't know how to say it without sounding like I'm preaching or just some jerk with a keyboard in front of him. I guess I just have to lay it out there bluntly then.
Last year at Ball State sucked in a lot of ways for a lot of people.
Not exactly the most eloquent phrase to ever appear in this newspaper, but I think it is a good jumping-off point.
A lot has happened on this campus in a relatively small amount of time that we all wish would have never taken place.
We lost a surprising number of students forever, often in tragic and frightening ways. Many students had issues with the university's "Police Yourself" campaign. We saw the men's cross country and track teams finish their seasons for the last time.
There is more, of course, but you get the idea.
Anytime you have all that we had happen on a campus in a year's time, there is going to be at least a small bit of tension and/or anxiety in the air.
You know what, though? We made it. We're back again for another year, and I argue that we're stronger because of all of it.
Bad things, things we disagreed with, happened. And we stood up.
Students started talking, not always too kindly, and organizing to voice their displeasure with the events. We learned that while we are still cogs in the machine of the university, that doesn't mean we can't try to change the machine's direction.
I'm not saying that we have altered the university forever or got what we wanted, but we seemed to figure out that we can most definitely give it a shot. That's step one, gang.
See, this all plays into the theory of life as a set of hills and valleys.
Last year was a valley. We were low and doubting. But as anybody that has taken even high school geography can tell you, after a valley, there is a hill.
We have started to climb our way out of the valley through realization and activism. We're still a far way off though.
All it takes is a quick look at the feedback left on the Ball State DAILY NEWS Web site to understand that the ill feelings created by the events of last year still remain. We know now, though, that we can build on this displeasure and rather than simply whine about how bad things are, actually try to make a difference.
If we keep moving in this direction by speaking our minds and opinions, we have the possibility of making this year a hill for Ball State.
Who knows? It might even become a mountain.))2%A+â-º-¿|]cole columnDNEditorial))2SORT*+â-ä2AUDT
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