Helen Keller once said, “Science has found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all – the apathy of human beings.” Apathy’s pathogenic effect on this campus has been so complete, it seems as if every aspect of campus life now is ruled by it. Any discussion of important issues is looked down upon, and if someone brings up politics it is taken as offensive and rude in most circles.
Thank God we have The Diamondback’s Opinion page, the lone savior of intelligent discourse. In The Diamondback, articles covering the tough issues we as a nation and a campus face have appeared recently. Who could forget “Big hearts in small sports,” in which Ryan Mink tells the heart-wrenching story of covering the women’s cross country team for two straight years? And the most meaningful, insightful column I have read in my entire life for that matter is Danny Jacobs’ “Please, no socks with sandals.” His knack for tackling controversial subjects is unbelievable.
All sarcasm aside, The Diamondback has to share the blame for the culture of apathy that has evolved on the campus. By featuring op-ed pieces that do not tackle controversial, politicized issues that will shape the future of this country in the years to come, our newspaper is selling us out.
Tuition has increased by 40 percent over four years. Michael Steele, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in ’06, compared stem cell research to the Holocaust. And do they print this? And while you may be saying, “Hey, The Diamondback can only run the columns they are given,” they limit themselves to pointless drivel on the op-ed page through the hiring process.
No single column better represents the attitudes of the thousands of apathetic drones here on the campus better than Cyrus Aghamolla’s April 24 column, “End absurd activism.” In perhaps one of the most vile columns printed by The Diamondback in a while, he calls pro-life demonstrations nuisances as compared to “sane students” who could better spend their time playing frisbee, and refers to Earth Day activism as “shenanigans.” Why doesn’t he immigrate to China or North Korea? I promise he’ll never be bothered by annoying activists again.
Furthermore, Aghamolla goes on to claim that pro-lifers have “no chance” of changing the policy in the United States, demonstrating a heightened sense of apathy in that he doesn’t believe grassroots protesting can have an effect on policy. He is obviously neglecting, among other things, the fact that Roe v. Wade will come under serious fire with a revamped conservative Supreme Court and a South Dakota law outlawing abortion in direct defiance of Roe (both a result of the powerful pro-life movement in the United States).
Aghamolla’s apathy knows no bounds, claiming the point of college is “for the extraordinary learning experience and preparation for a professional career, not to be annoyed by a series of fruitless attempts by whiny zealots.” I am filled with terror at the thought that many share Aghamolla’s view of college life. In essence, he’d have us believe that voicing and listening to varying opinions is an annoyance and not part of the learning process that is college.
I encourage both paid and guest columnists to think before they write. Think about the most important issues we as students face. Think about using your forum to both enlighten the student body on important facts and to come to conclusions based on the actual fact gathering you’ve done rather than writing about sandals. And to The Diamondback, ask yourself why you continue to provide those who have consistently demonstrated an unwillingness to address serious issues, a forum for their apathy. Finally, to the reader, I hope this piece will provide you a defense against the effects of apathy. Join the College Democrats or College Republicans. Give a couple hours each week to volunteer for a campaign you support. At the very least be informed on the issues; you’ll be surprised at what is at stake.
Tim Heller is the secretary of the College Democrats. He can be reached at tiimbitz4786@gmail.com.
