Happy Holidays
As I walked into Panera this morning at 10am, just having completed my morning class, I was desperately searching for those essential carbohydrates, and of course a large serving of the world’s best drug, caffeine. I ordered my bagel and coffee, and headed out on my way to the condiment stand to make my coffee just right.
I waited behind a gentleman who was having a discussion with two others, all three of whom were in business attire, and appeared to be local business men. I went to reach for the cream, and he said to me, “So when do you head home?” I quickly responded, “Wednesday is it for me,” to which he responded, “good luck buddy,” and I finished with “Happy Holidays,” to which he completed the conversation, “same to you!” After that atrocity of an attempt to use dialogue in a blog I would like to convey the message I took from that brief conversation.
I have not stopped hearing, since the day I arrived here, the disconnect, between town and gown. This morning, I could not have felt anything but the opposite. The biggest problem, inside of people’s heads, is mental. I am a firm believer that if you tell yourself, or someone something long and strong enough, that they or you will undoubtedly believe it.
My point is, yes there is a disconnect between town and gown, but is it as bad as we think it is, or are we all just playing at that to make it sound worse and create more problems. Are we really all that different, the answer is yes but not really. The difference, and one of the sources between the disconnect, is that difference of values, and of point in our lives in which we live. We are all at different points in our lives where to a student drinking is more important, while a towns person is simply trying to get their kids to school on time.
The end point I am trying to make is that, though we are different, we still are all people, there is a human element, or level that exists, and should be fostered. Just how this conversation with a man in Panera, has made my day, a conversation between a borough council member, and a student government leader can create a new idea.
Note: The Safeguard Old State Executive Staff does not moderate the comments posted by the public to blog entries. The comments of Safeguard Old State readers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Safeguard Old State.
Chris,
I think you’re dead-on with this point. Another great example of problems that are largely mental or willful is the idea of “student apathy.”
That students are apathetic to certain causes and issues is no surprise — not everyone is an activist.
Yet, practically every one of the 38,000 undergraduates at Penn State devotes himself to something meaningful outside of his classroom experience.
Whether that means the Church, volunteering, a part-time job, a student club, THON, or any of the dozens of non-profits in our community, most students are involved and passionate about something.
In my experience, those who decry “student apathy” are often just displeased that too few students care about their particular special interest.