Are you responsible? If you answered yes to this question, think about this: are you a responsible member of the St. Olaf community? We’re sure that many of you will answer yes to this question as well. It seems like the correct answer, right? But do your actions speak as loudly as your words? As students, we need to take an active role in the affairs of the campus. Are you actively engaged in issues on campus? Did you know that every Tuesday students have a chance to voice their concerns to student senators outside the caf? Typically, we receive comments about the food. That’s great, but is that the only issue on campus? Maybe it means that we are unable to step back, analyze what is valuable and what could use improvement here on the Hill. Are you doing this? Are you making it a point to change things for the better for future St. Olaf students, or are you too focused on your own graduation date? A few people do voice concerns on occasion about issues such as the $3.2 million budget deficit St. Olaf is facing for 2004-2005. Educating yourself on these issues is the first part of becoming a part of the decision-making process. No one is going to listen to a student who has gathered no relevant information or facts. Are you making it a point to educate yourself? Not from what we can see. Even with the free nachos SGA offered at the last student body meeting, only one student showed up to hear our vice president and treasurer Alan Norton speak about the budget deficit. What were you doing? Studying? Napping? Well, it’s pretty obvious you weren’t trying to learn about the budget deficit, ask questions that you had or voice your opinion. But we’re sure your time was well spent anyway. Being knowledgeable citizens of the world means being a knowledgable citizen of your community. Simply complaining does nothing; education and action do everything. Let’s practice being knowledgeable citizens of the world by educating ourselves first about the community we live in. Get involved!

– Christie Larson ‘04, SGA President, and Katie Rohach ‘05, SAC Coordinator

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