Freshman journalism major
Thursday afternoon was a breezy, clear-skied reminder of why I originally fell in love with McKeldin Mall. While reading and vaguely noting “so college” Frisbee games and guitar players sprinkled across the grass, I was approached by a few people who wanted to talk to me.
One of them was from a Christian group on the campus, letting me know that the organization was holding services this weekend for students who couldn’t celebrate Easter with their families. Another was a student raising funds for victims of domestic violence by selling Krispy Kreme donuts.
You can imagine which student was better received. The Christian student asked for no donations yet was brushed off rudely. I even overheard the frustration of another student from the same group who was tired of being ignored and rejected when she tried to give students fliers.
The fundraising student asked for money and was welcomed with open arms, open ears and open wallets.
I’ve heard that college students are notoriously passionate and dedicated to activism, sometimes naively so, but I wasn’t aware that millennial passion was contingent on the promise of glazed circular desserts.
There’s something seriously wrong with the way we react to advocacy on the campus.
When you attend a university with more than 800 student organizations, you’re bound to be approached by someone with a flier for something at some point.
There are a number of ways to handle this situation. Some of the most common include ignoring them, laughing at them or simply pretending you’re texting while passing quickly.
My question is, in what seems like a twisted game of Family Feud, why doesn’t listening make the top three?
Sure, you might not care that there’s a food drive going on or that a club is holding an event in Stamp Student Union tomorrow, but these people obviously care. They care enough that they put themselves out there just to get the word out. It takes a special kind of person to not only care about a cause, but also to care so much that he or she champions it.
It’s cliche, yes, but put yourself in his or her shoes. There is something you care about. There is something that makes your friends groan because you talk about it non-stop.
Now imagine approaching complete strangers with the small hope that your ideas and your passion will resonate with just one of them. It must feel awful to not even be given a chance to explain what you care about.
The least you could do is listen. There’s a very good chance that once you hear what the club is doing you still won’t care, but there’s also a very good chance that you know at least one person who will.
Just listen to the “crazy” flier people. It takes less than 30 seconds. You don’t have to attend the event or donate money. You just have to let them know they’re not so crazy after all. Caring isn’t crazy; turning a blind eye to dedication and passion is.
Samantha Reilly is a freshman journalism major. She can be reached at sreillydbk@gmail.com.
