Editorial: Got spirit?

Last Thursday, Centennial Mall was spilling over with nearly 2,000 people. Students on tiptoes snagged colorful selfies to add to their Snapchat stories. The sounds of brass blared and the beats of drums percussed across the beautiful, sunny mall. Everyone buzzed with excitement and anticipation for the triumphant University of Toledo Rockets to arrive — when they finally did, the crowd broke into an ecstatic frenzy driven by echoing chants “T-O-L-E-D-O!”

But, how many of those people showed up to class Monday morning?

The pep rally was held to support the football team after their upset over the Arkansas Razorbacks and to get hyped up for the game against Iowa State, and it was an electric, powerful moment. The problem is that once we come down from the buzz of school spirit, students fall back into the same patterns of keeping their heads down and anonymously complaining on Yik Yak without getting out of bed to change anything.

Simply put, students need to start giving a shit.

Hold on to the feelings of pride and joy swelling in your chest. Hold onto that feeling of bursting excitement and enthusiasm, but don’t expect it to carry you through your time at school. Short term enthusiasm isn’t a substitute for a deeper sense of concern and awareness of what’s happening at UT.

It’s important to be an active participant on campus, not only for you as an individual, but for the community. We have the ability to make a difference, yet it’s rare that students are recognized for their grassroots efforts to make changes at the university. Change is only impossible when no one cares enough to make it happen.

Students are capable of enacting change, and have instituted huge changes in the past. The UT Feminist Alliance helped prevent the movement of the counseling center to a less-than-ideal location, a group of protestors at a lecture motivated the university to update the free speech policy and the UT Student Government persuaded administration to keep the library open for extended hours during exam week.

School spirit comes from participation and excitement, but real pride in your school comes from knowing your university has been made better by the informed choices and efforts of those who are a part of it. Real participation involves a deep-seated care and respect for the school.

The IC editorial board is not the be-all and end-all authority on defining “the college experience,” but we think taking an active role in shaping the environment you chose is definitely a step in the right direction.

We’re not saying you have to be at every football game and have “Rocket pride,” but it does mean actively caring about what happens at your school. And since you are reading this paper, you must care at least a little. We too have a mission to serve the students and this community; we are proud. We believe that student pride matters because it is the essential motivator to change and progress. If you have no pride, you have no improvement.

As we said in last week’s editorial, this school is only as good as you make it.

You — yes, you — are the key to change. Challenge the administration, push for, or against a referendum, start a purpose-driven organization or publish a column with us. Care enough to not settle for a second-rate university, because if students are satisfied being mediocre, then that’s what UT will become.