Staff Editorial
Pepperdine students have a reputation for apathy. Obviously this is not true of every student. However, the pervading sentiment of the student body is that students cannot change the things about which they complain.
The assumptions are endless: There is nothing to do on the weekends, the administration doesn’t care about what students think, and no one has any school spirit. It is this kind of attitude that breeds apathy and indifference.
Being at a small school can feel like a drawback, because there are fewer weekend events and less nightlife. However, students can take advantage of Pepperdine’s small school status by using the many resources available to them.
At a large school, the chances of a freshman knowing the school president on a personal level or visiting his home are slim to none. Pepperdine students have these luxuries, unavailable at other, larger universities.
By using these resources and the others listed below, individual students can begin to affect change on this campus, and actively clear away the fog of apathy that hovers above the college on the hill.
•For years, President Benton has eaten meals with students in the Caf. Take him up on it. Ask him the questions you have wanted to know about the administration, tell him how you feel about some of their policies, and offer your own ideas for administrative changes. He likely will not agree to eliminate the Pepperdine alcohol policy, but his responsibility is to students, and he should listen to your suggestions.
•Visit the Student Government office, located in the Tyler Campus Center, and meet the SGA E-board members. Share your concerns and ideas with them, so they can work toward solutions in the senate. Get to know your representatives as well, so they can better represent you in the resolutions on which they vote.
“Most resolutions that come from outside ideas come from senators who have been talking to their friends,” said SGA Vice President of Aministration Ryan Harvey. Also, do not forget to vote in the 2007-2008 SGA elections, or even better, run for office and be active in working toward change.
•Go to athletic events and cheer on your classmates. Student attendance at athletic events is often dismal. Rows of empty seats line the Firestone Fieldhouse at men’s basketball games. Or worse, they are filled with fans of our opponents, who travel from around the state or farther to support their teams. This was the case with last week’s men’s basketball home game against the University of San Francisco, at which the number of USF fans seemed to dwarf even loyal Riptide members.
“There should be no excuse for there to be more USF fans than Pep fans on our home court,” said Kristi Koon, president of Riptide. Her advice is to “pay attention to things like [athletic] flyers, join Riptide so you get our emails, and get excited for these games, because if people aren’t interested in them, they won’t come.”
•Visit the Pepperdine Volunteer Center in the TCC and sign up to volunteer after class or on the weekend. More than 1,300 students, staff, faculty, and alumni volunteered on Step Forward Day in September, but so many have not since.
Rather than complain that there is nothing to do on a Saturday, join the PVC in building the Pepperdine Habitat for Humanity house in Oxnard for the recently selected Saravias family. Make it a group trip with your roommates, close friends or student organization.
•Stop wearing other college’s merchandise on campus. The motivation behind this is perplexing, since nobody sees Pepperdine sweatshirts around UCLA or USC. Show some Pepperdine pride, both on and off-campus.
Students who have spent time at LAX know that most USC and UCLA students are easily spotted by their school’s gear. Pepperdine students are usually identifiable because it’s a small school, and you have probably seen them before on campus.
Pepperdine students do care. They care about their school, they care about their sports teams, and they care about their world. Luckily, Pepperdine has plenty of resources to use to show it.
01-25-2007