SMU students have the reputation of being rich, snobby, and aloof. And, while I would say that the majority of the student body fights hard against this stereotype, there still remains a lingering scent of aristocracy. The problem is that many students do not know what it means to give back and have no desire to learn. They look at volunteering and charity work as a means to an end: a resume booster. They do not see what it could be.
About a month ago at a meeting for one of my extra curricular activities, we were approached about doing a service project downtown. About half volunteered, and seemed excited. I thought this was a good sign, until I heard one of the people who had passed on the project say, “No way. Homeless people are gross.” I think that single sentence summed up what is wrong with, not only SMU students, but a good chunk of college students in general.
We refuse to risk discomfort in any situation unless it means self-advancement. We would rather do volunteer work for the Republican National Committee, because it means connections and a bullet point on our resumes, than at a homeless shelter or a local animal shelter, both of which are greatly in need of volunteers and will take any help they can get. We refuse to see the good that one day spent spooning soup into bowls or playing with kids at a battered women’s shelter can do for others, and instead only focus on what good we can do for ourselves.
To an extent, society runs on volunteers. We just don’t notice it because we rarely make use of it. The homeless are able to get healthcare, take job training classes, and get mental help because of volunteers. Women who are being abused are able to escape to a safe place with their children because of the volunteers who keep the shelters running, and people whose homes are destroyed by natural disasters are able to seek refuge due to the generosity and hard work of people who expect no payment and little thanks for what they do.
It is time to wake up to the world around us and begin to notice where we can help. Within a ten-mile radius of SMU there are over 100 places to volunteer. Does this number shock you? Maybe you just haven’t taken the time to notice. There are churches with outreach programs, homeless shelters, orphanages, daycares, animal shelters; the list goes on and on.
We have the ability to help; we just choose not to use it. We are sitting in our SMU bubble filling our resumes and partying on the weekends, while the rest of the world watches us waiting for us to help. It is unacceptable that we do not take them up on their request.
Because we are students attending SMU, we have opportunities the majority of the world will never have. Unfortunately, we do not see it that way. We are convinced that we have it tough, and that we don’t have time to help others out because we are just too busy. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We are college students who are about to graduate and become part of the real world, so it is time we learned what the real world really is.
Jessica Huseman is a sophomore CCPA and Political Science double major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
