In some respects, this is almost part two of “Only you can make CMU better,” which focused primarily on improving campus life for students, faculty and staff. Now, we are addressing the message Colorado Mesa University collectively sends to the community.
Unfortunately, our beloved university does not always engender the most positive of feelings within the hearts of those who surround us.
For some individuals in the community, there’s just a strong resistance to change and an ever deepening resentment toward CMU because of its rapid growth. Sadly, there isn’t much that can be done to enhance their view of us other than to embrace stagnation, which just isn’t a viable option.
For reasonable community members, however, the way we represent ourselves can have a powerful impact on how they view us. And it is very important how they view us.
CMU is an economic powerhouse to the surrounding area and community support for the university can only serve to enhance that exponentially. There’s a synergy between us that ought to be nurtured for mutual benefit.
The problem is that we keep getting in our own way. Either through apathy or a willful disregard for others, students repeatedly pass up the opportunity to show the community that we care about anything other than our own selfish desires.
Recently, The Criterion, with support from the Associated Student Government, tried to send a positive message to the community by participating in the Men in Heels Race. The funds raised went to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
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Fund raising efforts brought in over $2,300 dollars to the cause. Even CMU President Tim Foster donated. However, even with a sizable donation reached, student apathy allowed the opportunity to send a powerful message of caring and compassion to slip away.
If even half the 11,000 students at CMU would have been willing to part with a single dollar for the cause, the money generated would have been greater than the donations any other team was able to produce.
That’s far less than most students spend on coffee every day. Too bad they cared more about a pumpkin spice latte than women being beaten and raped.
To be fair, that is only one example of efforts originating within CMU to help the community. There are many programs, organizations and clubs that attempt charity, public service and social involvement. The race is just the most recent example.
The problem is that the messages still keep falling flat. For every student that genuinely cares about making the world a better place, there are far more that can’t be bothered. The numbers and participation just aren’t enough to make the kind of impact that CMU is perfectly capable of.
Worse than apathy, and far louder than positive efforts, are those with no regard whatsoever for others. Party houses can be easily identified from the street. Beer bottles and cans lie strewn about on the houses’ lawns and even end up tossed on neighboring lawns.
Loud music blaring from houses filled with underage drunken college students keeps hardworking community members up all night.
That is the kind of message that sinks deeply and spreads rapidly. That is what gets to be understood about all of us. CMU students get labelled as rude, slovenly drunkards that care only about themselves.
The sad thing is that isn’t who we are. The individuals who willfully drag our names through filth are a minority of individuals.
The problem is that those who try desperately to counter such a negative message to the community are also a minority. The overwhelming majority of students are happily enveloped in their apathy.
That apathy doesn’t help CMU, it doesn’t help the community and it certainly doesn’t help build a condition of mutual support and prosperity.
The good news is that we can change. Stop going through life caring about so little. Look for opportunities to get involved. Be willing to part with a dollar for a good cause. Be willing to invest a small measure of time to help others. And for crying out loud, turn down the music and pick up the beer bottles.
william ferguson • Sep 23, 2018 at 5:46 pm
I would disagree with the assumption that the student apathy makes CMU look bad, and argue just the opposite. Its CMU actions that makes the student body look bad. The university already benefits from massive tax cuts and a constant flow of income from the students utilizing businesses on campus. The same businesses that don’t pay taxes back into the community like other a normal business located off campus. Its no wonder the surrounding community of GJ has such contempt for CMU… Its not the students…but the actions of the university it self, especially when it fails to support its students endeavors to participate in community events…The university wouldn’t even put up a 1.00 donation representing each and every student…instead they throw the student body under the bus, and chastise them for not donating the 1.00 dollar, to make the university look good.. In a perfect world the students would boycott every business on campus, to remind CMU of the contributions the students make each and every day.
Chris Cady • Sep 19, 2018 at 6:58 am
I have no problem at all with this article. I was a student for 5 years. CMU students often are apathic. Look no further tha. The extremely poor voter turnout for last years student government as proof. If I remember right, only around 30% of the student body took the time to vote for the people who decide how, where, and when their student fees are used. Their money, regardless of who is actually paying for thier college, should be something they would actually care about.
Jordan Lehr • Sep 18, 2018 at 8:27 am
As a very proud alumni of CMU, I take offense to this article. Students have a lot going on and cannot be at or contribute to everything that happens on campus, or in the community. This writer assumes that everyone is a spoiled rich person, who is more concerned with parties than their community. I can tell you that students can party, have fun and still be successful, I’m living proof of that. But more importantly, students at CMU are doing amazing things each and everyday. This story doesn’t even acknowledge all the positive charities and contributions CMU students are making to the community everyday. I know just in my four years there I’ve was part of four canned food drives, four years of Toys for Tots and Adopt-a-Family, Relay for Life, MS walks, March for Babies and much much more, just through my club and Greek life connections. I know for a fact there were, and still are, groups and clubs all across campus doing great things. The writer clearly has not actually engaged with their school at all, or they would know that CMU has amazing students and money isn’t the only way to prove that to the community.
Chris DeLeon • Sep 18, 2018 at 11:39 am
“To be fair, that is only one example of efforts originating within CMU to help the community. There are many programs, organizations and clubs that attempt charity, public service and social involvement.The race is just the most recent example”- excerpt from the editorial.
Anon • Sep 17, 2018 at 11:27 pm
Your fault is assuming most students even knew about this event in the first place. Judging others without any sort of factual base as to why the event failed is just as bad as the thing you accuse the student body of. You might reach students better through optimism than pessimism. Calling people selfish isn’t going to make them listen to you whether you believe it to be true or not.
M Clark • Sep 17, 2018 at 10:05 pm
CMU was apart of the Men In Heels race? There was a team racing on behalf of the school to raise funds? Students knew where to go? I didn’t. Of the numerous message boards in all of the educational buildings, there wasn’t anything posted about the race or where to donate. Yet, every simple PAC arts and crafts event is available in those correspondence areas. Is it about student apathy or student awareness?