October 17, 2008 | The Clarion
Letters
Page 3
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Dreams come true for those who work while they dream.
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by Robin Funsten
Contributor
Many of you may know me on campus as ‘that
girl who runs the voter registration’ or ‘Obama
Girl-She’s serious eh?’ or ‘Outing Club lady’ or
God knows what else you may want to call me
when I’m not listening... Or, you have no idea
who I am, and that’s great too... Either way, I
feel the need to share some valuable information,
and something I wrote last year...before the
campaigning began, before the world became
aware of economic hardships and disasters and
before perhaps the great paradigm shift within
our globe became a huger, more noticeable,
reality. I hope this article finds you in a place
of happiness; a place ready for Fall Break
Adventures; A place of wondering what you can
do to improve our society, your own life and the
lives of people around you. Yes, I support Barack
Obama, and I support him because he speaks
to the rings of change and strength in a time of
great transition. But no, I do not believe he is the
ultimate savior, or the answer to everything that
is bad in our country/world right now. Though
I think his presidency can steer us in the right
direction what I really believe is that YOU are
the answer, and even more accurately, that WE
are the answer:
Betsy Burrows has a bumper sticker on her
office door that reads: “Education is National
Security.” I agree with this in the mass sense,
that education of individuals can not only help
our national community survive impending
doom, be it economic depression, societal
breakdowns, environmental collapse, etc...
But it can help our global community survive.
This feeling of approaching and massive social,
economic and environmental transition can
only be “survived” by those individuals, who
are agoraphobic of societal change, through
a feeling of understanding that can only be
provided through education as these changes are
underway. I’m asking you to educate yourself
As our world seems to set itself up for
ultimate fall in all aspects of sustainability
and functionality, it seems as though our
community awareness teeters on an edge that
is steep and daunting. Our global politics
become increasingly hostile, our economic debt
to ourselves and our children rises every day,
and our environment seems near demolition in
countless ways. It seems as though the only
thing that is certain is large and inevitable
changes within our globe, and it has all piled
onto itself in ways that no human in history can
recall. I wish that I could say that I have one
specific cause, one specific issue to focus on, but
for me to remain a concerned citizen of earth I
find it irresponsible to look at only one aspect
of solution: Which is why it is so important for
every individual to realize their own ability to
make contributions toward change. I think that
every social entrepreneur that has ever made
big things happen had to start generally and
bring themselves to a focus through a healthy
willingness to be uncertain, the ability to live in
transition, help others do the same and educate
those who are unsure or perhaps unwilling.
My Challenge to you is to begin the process
now of realizing the purpose you can have if you
are only able to open your eyes to it. We are all
people, we are all voices, and yes, we are all very
important in this time of change and transition.
Who are you to sit back and say that you can
have no influence? If that is your take, then you
are one who WILL absolutely still change things
anyway, yet not necessarily in your favor nor
the favor of our shared world. You are college
students. You have ultimate resources. There
Ways for you to act locally: (Thinking Globally)
•Volunteer your time at the Bread of Life
•Sign up to tutor at Rise and Shine Day School
•Help out at The Center For Dialogue
•Volunteer at the local Boys and Girls Club; Safe's Attic; Goodwill; Salvation
Army; Humane Society; etc...
•Begin a local chapter of Food Not Bombs
•Contribute money to a local Non-Profit (There's tons! And they're strug
gling)
•Find other ways to give to your community on your own. 1 -5 hours out of
your week is not as hard to give as you think!
“Just imagine how much difference it wouid maie if one student from each 'sociai group’
at Brevard Coiiege wouid voiunteer at a iocai non-profit, i find it hard to beiieve that
‘they just don’t have time, ’ i mean seriousiy! i-iow many hours a weei do you thini they
spend piaying video games or watching TV? When’s the iast time you thini they did
are people who surround you with PEIDs, free
all hour internet information, friends who want
to change the world, a young and energetic mind
and you are sitting in the middle of a perfect mess
of nation. It is your time to act on your purposes,
live for your moments and help your own world
become a healthier and happier place... in
whatever way it is you choose to improve it.
Thanks, in advance, for doing your part to make
positive impacts! Be outrageous!
Trashy campus
by Brittany Gilley
Contributor
A Saturday afternoon job around campus
yielded some awesome sights: the many colors
of leaves, the view of the mountains from the
village quad. King’s Creek trickling along, a
shiny aluminum can in a fire ring.
Wait a minute.
A shiny aluminum can? That belongs in a
recycling bin, not a fire ring!
Each time I walk across campus, I notice
more recyclables and trash on the ground. I have
also noticed the continuous work maintenance
does in picking up this never ceasing litter
Additionally, I observed that the recycling shed
behind South Village has been closed and the
bins removed, due to students putting trash in
the shed. Despite there being signs saying the
shed was closed, it was still overflowing with
trash on Saturday.
I often wonder who the students are that are
responsible for this disrespect of our campus.
Not only are they disrespecting the campus,
but also fellow students, faculty and staff,
community members who regularly visit, and
touring prospective students. Complaints of
how things are run at Brevard College are heard
everyday; if we want things to change, more
money from more students is needed. But if
we show prospective students a garbage dump
of a campus, they will not decide to enroll in
Brevard College.
Some days I want to organize a campus
cleanup time, I am so angry. But I shouldn’t have
to. We are all adults here at Brevard College,
and there are only about 700 of us; we should
be able to keep a clean and neat campus without
aid from the maintenance crew.
I hate to say it, but I guess I have to: Didn’t
yo mamas teach y’all any better?!