They call us Generation X?

We all have a story. Whether it?s being woken up with a phone call, walking out of class, or seeing a television. Each of us can remember exactly ? down to the very last detail ? how we found out and what happened in our own life in the hours immediately following. I can tell you more about a year ago this second than I can this morning. Growing up, my parents and their friends always told me about their story of what they were doing when President Kennedy was shot. I was always amazed how they could remember every single detail. Then this happened, and I will never forget a single second of that day.Generation X ? is that what they call us? They tell us that we are a do-nothing generation. After Sept. 11, our nation experienced what this generation is capable of. They learned that when we are called to do amazing things, we will not just answer the call, but expand on it. That night, I stood in front of Dallas Hall. We had come together after what had been the most bizarre day of our lives. We sang and we prayed, as we were called to do. But then we expanded on that call. In the following weeks, we, as a student body, gave what we could, making a significant donation to the relief efforts.There are those who say we have lost the sense of being ?forever changed.? They could not be more wrong. Children now know the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence, and we all have a sense of being initiated into the order of the great American generations of the past. Even if we don?t consciously think of them, we use the lessons we learned: We must help others as much as we can, we must never miss the opportunity to tell the people closest to us we love them and we must live each day to its full potential.It is this spirit of helping others that we must take away from this experience. I challenge each of you to again out do our generation?s calling. Let?s make it a reality that our best days are yet to come. Whether it?s through volunteering, helping a relative or loved one or being determined to change the world ? never let a day go by without doing everything you can to reach your goals. Reality is what you make it.