Every year at freshman convocation, the chancellor announces the
increased academic excellence of incoming students, as evidenced by
higher GPAs and superior SAT scores. Unfortunately for the campus,
many students, in their rush to sustain these kinds of lofty
academic standards, neglect a crucial part of a quality education
““ developing a relationship with their community.
Too many students have lost sight of what it means to earn a
liberal arts education. While many students learn the basic skills
necessary to thriving in their chosen careers, they often lack any
meaningful ties to the individuals living on their floors or
sitting next to them in their classes.
Unfortunately, UCLA students aren’t alone in this
attitude; they reflect American culture’s glorification of
individualism, to the detriment of communal responsibility. This
larger societal problem is no excuse for college students, though,
because with our degrees comes a responsibility: We must lead our
generation and we must do so with a “proper education”
supporting us.
That education can not be found solely in any book or lecture
hall. Students must adopt this learning by interacting with others
““ outside of the classroom.
Recent events, however, prove that this kind of collective,
campus involvement is happening less and less. At the same time,
the sad consequences of this inaction are becoming clear
enough.
During the summer, at least 19 football players abused the use
of disabled parking placards, thoughtlessly violating the rights of
the disabled community. Not only did the impending scandal impose
damage on the team’s morale, it also left a mark of shame on
the university. The student-athletes involved weren’t the
only ones who realized their continuous insensitivity to the rights
of the disabled community.
And nowadays, even protests seem to garner little campus-wide
reaction. When the law school’s dwindling number of
underrepresented minorities prompted law students to protest, few
outside of the demonstration seemed to care, or help in the
fight.
As undergraduates continue the same struggle ““ this time
while lobbying for the repeal of SP-1, the 1995 Regents measure
that banned affirmative action in admissions ““ many other
students seem disinterested.
All students, however, should care about the issue of
affirmative action, because of the gains it made in attempting to
level the playing field in a society still suffering from
institutional racism. Its end has benefited no one, and has
effectively resegregated the UC’s top campuses.
The November elections also proved California voters were
disinterested ““ apparently the rights of homosexuals and
children meant nothing, as both hateful Propositions 21 and 22
passed into law. Measures like these deserve the attention, and
abhorrence, of UCLA students. Whether or not they feel the direct
effects of such legislation, these new laws involve individuals in
our community ““ anyone who has ever loved anyone of the same
sex or who has been young and accused of a crime.
Early this quarter, a string of hate-related incidents shocked
many students. A man kicked an African American woman on the steps
of Campbell Hall while yelling racial slurs, the offices of certain
student advocacy groups were vandalized with pictures of swastikas,
and posters depicting people of color were mutilated. These events
are a reflection of tensions in our society that university
students should not be ignoring.
Racial tensions also heightened on campus during the recent USAC
elections, as different students tossed accusations of
discrimination back and forth, frequently without bothering to
justify their claims. All this, and less than 25 percent of
undergraduates turned out to vote. Again, this example demonstrates
a lack of student interest and active participation in the campus
community.
Still, the victory won by academic student employees for higher
wages and better benefits should serve as an example of the power
of student solidarity. Most of the people who fought for these
rights will not be here to enjoy the fruits of their work. But they
were driven by a social responsibility that transcended narrow
self-interest.
Clearly, students need to re-evaluate their definition of what
it means to attain a “quality” education. While we are
entitled to concrete academic preparation for the world we will
soon will enter, we should also seek out educational experiences
that will broaden our world view and make us conscious of social
conditions, even if they don’t affect us directly.
With the privilege of attending such a prestigious educational
institution, comes an important social responsibility. UCLA
students are part of an elite group in society. We are the future
CEOs, politicians, the lawyers, doctors and teachers. We must be
prepared to use our future status to benefit others, as well as
ourselves.
Important lessons can be learned from participation and
on-campus involvement; these lessons are crucial to educating truly
enlightened future leaders.