More than 500 students managed to raise more than $13,000 for the American Cancer Association by participating in this weekend's Relay for Life.
We say managed because they did exactly that. On a college campus, spontaneously raising that much cash for charity is nothing short of excellent.
In fact, compared to last year's $4,000 figure, the students went beyond expectations.
It's a testament to the character and drive behind the students involved in the fund raiser -- which speaks highly of their belief in their goal. It also speaks highly of Ball State University students and other area residents who were in town over the weekend, as many of them helped by making monetary contributions.
Ball State students are not well-known for caring much about anything, let alone charity. In the past two years, some of the most active protests and student outcries have resulted from petty arguments about alcohol laws and police enforcement. To think these same students helped in reaching this five-figure goal is spectacular.
It also shows increasing signs of maturity and responsibility -- two characteristics students should possess by the time they move on from this small-town campus community. The case is two-fold: one, for the students who took on the duty of gathering the donations and two, the students who contributed to the fund on a weekend ordinarily reserved for other more relaxed activities.
It's not every day you see students coming together in financial unity to help support a cause -- maybe they don't care, or maybe they just don't have the cash. Either way, the fact they did speaks highly of a student body so commonly known as apathetic.
While one event can't single-handedly change the collective mind-set of a population in this instance, it's a good stepping stone to leap off from.
Because on the walk ahead, apathy is anything but a good characteristic to possess.
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