To be honest, I think the popular glorification of apathy of my generation needs to stop. Whether it manifests as a ploy to get attention and followers on social media or as a sincere character trait, not caring about other people and the things that happen to and are done by them is not something to be praised. On the contrary, it is something to be discouraged.

Those people who frequently tweet about wanting to change the world often also tweet about how they no longer care or will no longer try to institute change. While these vague cries for attention probably tend to apply to specific personal relationships or pursuits, they perpetuate an idea in direct contradiction to progress of any kind. Not caring about someone will not change him or her; rather, it will simply cause the apathetic person to be forgotten and to be no longer significant in that person’s life. Similarly, choosing not to care about something, whether it be school, work or anything else, ends up causing a person to become irrelevant in whatever context it may be.

I find it difficult to understand how being apathetic has become trendy. It is strange to me that, in this time of such extreme scientific and artistic and social development, someone could want to live without working as hard as possible to be part of the change. I see posts and hear claims discouragingly often about wanting to run away to music festivals and beaches for the rest of one’s life. While these kinds of escapes can easily be temporarily appealing, it is ridiculous to strive for a lifestyle like that. The change which some people are running away from could be used to correct some of those disgusting things that make mainstream life so unappealing to those running. And to be a part of that change, we have to care about the things that contribute to it, such as school, news, the environment and the lives of people other than our loved ones and ourselves. It is so incredibly important to realize this, especially living in a nation that is grossly well-off in relation to most of the world.

In order to help people, and in order to change the world, we have to care. Progress isn’t made on accident, and lives aren’t saved by chance. You have to work to make things better, and you have to put in effort to make yourself significant in the world, despite the egotistical sentiment of which this generation reeks. Next time you think, type or say, “I don’t care,” think about where you would be if those who came before you had felt the same way.

One day over the summer, I stepped out of my office to run over to White Science Center to fill up my water bottle. As I turned a corner, I saw two people I knew very well. One had been my roommate for two years and was my little brother in my fraternity. The other I had known for less time, but I still counted her among my close friends; she had often told me that I was one of the reasons she chose William Jewell. These two were surrounded by incoming first-year students who were on campus for Cardinal Day. I was ecstatic to see these two and started enthusiastically talking to them about their lives and their summers. And they, being polite Midwesterners, introduced me to the first-years surrounding them, all of whom were polite enough but clearly didn’t really care about meeting me. And it was in that moment that I realized that my relationship with William Jewell College had changed.

My relationship up until that moment had been that of a student to this college. I graduated in May of this year with a degree in political communication and a minor in nonprofit leadership. I was incredibly involved with several campus organizations. I was certainly not the perfect student, but I was one of those Type A, over-scheduled kids who somehow have time for everything. And now I’m fortunate enough to work for the Harriman-Jewell Series as Development and Finance Manager. This allows me to work in the performing arts, a career path I’d been interested in for a few years ever since I started attending Harriman-Jewell Series performances as a student. In a lot of ways, I’m incredibly fortunate – not only do I have a job in my chosen career path, but I was able to make that transition while staying in a community that I knew and loved.

But, I knew that this transition could be fraught with challenges. A good friend of mine graduated in 2013 and spent last academic year transitioning from student to staff. I had witnessed all of her ups and downs and fully expected to experience some of the same emotions she had. And while I have had my ups and downs, it’s actually been a much smoother transition than I anticipated.

Going from student to staff meant a change in my identity. No longer was I that over scheduled student leader; I was a staff member. There were no clubs for me to join, no events to organize and no more Cardinal Points (honestly, that was probably the hardest part of my transition). But, instead of that sudden identity change sparking a crisis, it was exactly what I needed. Just like going away to college allowed me to be more of the person I wanted to be, not being a student married to my planner allows me to continue to be more of the person I want to be.

While a lot of the things I swore I would do after graduation haven’t quite panned out (ya know, like working out and eating right and reading a book a week…), I’ve been able to actually relax and enjoy myself. Even though there was plenty of time as an undergrad to go enjoy myself, there was always homework and meetings hanging over my head. But now, I can go home to my apartment and do whatever I want! And I don’t have to spend my Saturdays thinking about all of the homework that I have to do on Sunday. I have the time to grow and explore and experience new things. For some, this change in identity can be tough. But for me, it’s a reminder that change can be, and, in my own case, is almost always good. It’s an opportunity to grow and discover more about yourself and the world around you. And isn’t that what college is all about, anyway?