Thanksgiving draws near, and there are so many things to look forward to - time off from school, spending time with loved ones and great food. This year, my "time off" will be consumed by gratuitous amounts of studying and paper writing that need to be completed as the semester winds down, while half of my family is in Florida, enjoying a warm, peaceful holiday as I freeze in subzero Indiana winds.
Pessimistic, you say? Not at all - I am very grateful for my blessings, every year.
I am thankful for the mature students with whom we share our campus - those students who find it hilarious to break into fraternity houses and deposit dead animals or who are not accepting and welcoming of a diverse population of fellow students.
To quote Joseph Addison, an English politician and writer, "Man is subject to innumerable pains and sorrows by the very condition of humanity, and yet, as if nature had not sown evils enough in life, we are continually adding grief to grief and aggravating the common calamity by our cruel treatment of one another." As intelligent college students, we should be able to understand such a statement.
I am thankful Ball State is repeatedly mentioned as a top university for advanced technology and interaction. It's even more comforting to know this technology includes a new online system to pay student fees, allowing Ball State to obtain our hard-earned money even faster.
I am thankful for always having easy access to parking spaces around campus and, furthermore, for meeting such helpful and congenial Parking Services employees. They have shining personalities, I must say, and are so considerate of the students when they return from class one minute after their parking meters have expired. I can only hope they are as thankful for the chance to take such pride and enjoyment in their jobs. Ah, what would we do without them?
But now that I have spouted enough sarcasm, I will mention a few things I am truly thankful for.
I am thankful that as students we are able to pursue higher education in the first place - and at such an institution as Ball State. While Ball State definitely has its faults and limitations, we must not forget this is the case at any given university. In the often-forgotten Midwest, it's nice to be recognized as such a prominent figure among the nation's colleges and universities.
I am thankful that as students we have the small-community feel but the limitless opportunities of a large-scale university. The fear of freshmen becoming lost in a sea of thousands of peers soon dissipates once they discover every individual has an important place at Ball State. And considering the numerous publications, conferences and special events, as well as the more than 300 student organizations and hundreds of options for majors and minors, students can pursue any educational and extracurricular dream they have.
Finally, I am thankful for our freedoms, of which there are too many to mention. But two freedoms stand out in particular to me, as a college student. There is the freedom to choose - a freedom that might be overlooked often by students. We have the ability to decide what we want to do with our lives and how we want to achieve our goals.
College is the most appropriate time to explore this freedom, as well as a great chance to explore the second freedom - freedom of speech. Freedom of speech has given me the chance to write for the Daily News and other publications on campus. Without it, I would be unable to inspire, offend, amuse, surprise or instill a variety of other emotions in you, the reader.
I couldn't be more thankful for that.
Write to Danielle at drcoulter@bsu.edu
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