- By Christopher Morell on May 2nd, 2008 at 12:03 am
As I sit here at the end of my first year at Penn State I think back as to what I have done, what I have seen, and the people whom I have met. I can say with absolute honesty that I never made a better decision than to come to Happy Valley.
In a culture such as ours, new opportunities present themselves daily. Every day also presents a chance for the betterment of life here at Penn State. There is a future that has yet to be realized, there is a chance for this University to once again separate itself from every other college in the world.
This does not mean that I do not appreciate what we have now — as I said earlier, I love Penn State. I have made friends here that I will have for the rest of my life, and the life experience provided here by the professors and administrators will help me for the rest of my life. However, we must always look toward the future and toward positive change for the next generation of Penn Staters.
When I think of where I hope to see Penn State in five years I have visions of undying bonds shared by every student, of comradery that is unsurpassed, an increase in student body and faculty authority and of a University bound together on a common thread of collaboration toward the betterment of the entire community.
Each person who enrolls here has the right to make friends, to meet people who will stick with them through all things. Friends who will be there when they get a call from you at 5am begging for help and who will drop everything and not ask a single question; people that will be at your wedding, or your child’s birthday party.
On that same thought, a friend of mine once told me a story about how he helped a stranger who had had too much to drink get back to East Halls all the way from frat row. This is a simple thing which we all can do; help the drunk person home instead of passing him by.
The football games here are some of the best experiences in college sports, but why not try and make all student events like this? Show support for every student, no matter what they are doing. We should continue to build on the fact that we are the best fans in college sports, and, although volleyball games might not be held in Beaver Stadium, they are very exciting. It would be something special if whenever at Penn State event was on television people would watch us and say, “Look at those Penn Staters. They’re the best fans in the world.”
There are over 40,000 of us here at University Park, and while we all have different thoughts and dreams, there needs to be a powerful voice for the students on campus. That voice must not only be heard, but also have the power to effect real, binding change for the betterment of students as a whole.
I think that the University Park Undergraduate Association, or UPUA, is that voice. The UPUA has already started down this road, speaking out against the facilities fee being pushed by administrators and supporting the brothers of Phi Delta Theta. The UPUA has established itself as a credible voice which the students body can come to expecting real help.
I hope that the UPUA will continue to change and transform our culture at Penn State. The entire student body should know about the UPUA, and not only what it is but also what it can do for them. It is the duty of the UPUA to speak publicly to the administration for students and remind them that when we talk about the decisions of the “University,” we’re really speaking (or at least should really be speaking) about the decisions of the students and faculty.
Building rapport with the administrators so that we can work together to enhance student life is vital, but so is a mutual understanding of what it means to talk about the University. With every day that goes by I hope the UPUA continues to grow and represent every student interest and student group.
I have high hopes for Penn State and I am sure that I am not alone. It is the duty of every student to get involved if they wish to make this University better then it already is. I think it is something that we can accomplish. It is our duty to recognize our unlimited potential.
Tags: Phi Delta Theta, Student Facilities Fee, University Park Undergraduate Association
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