Feb. 15, 2021 Campus Voices | News | Suicide Prevention | Media | Satire | Feature
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To o c o ol for sch o o l ? CAMPUS VOICES
than the virus itself. Everyone can play a part toward a collective good. As a fraternity man, I know what it means to truly be surrounded by people who have your best interests at heart. I also know all about the importance of being available and being a good listener. Throughout my time in college, I have had friends open up to me in a variety of ways, from coming out PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN of the closet to revealing they had written goodbyes to their Hardin Building, MSU Texas, July 2020. loved ones in the past few days. uring such an unprecDepression is a rotten curse. By edented time as is the showing a true desire to empower those around present, we have an ob- me, I believe I can be called a “friend” by almost ligation to protect our family: everyone I meet. I believe I have made a differour Mustang Family. Whether ence in many lives perhaps even saving some. it be through the adamant folI fully intend to suggest to my children later lowing of social distancing in life to consider MSU as a place to go to colNick Lanier guidelines or by being a shoul- lege. I will be a proud Mustang alumnus, but der to lean and cry on during a period where I will not say that my experience was perfect. inadequacy and anxiety can run more rampant There were far too many instances where bu-
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reaucratic red tape prevented change and direction for progress in many areas of campus life. However, as much as we can all blame the president, the Board of Regents or the faculty, we as students must also take some blame. When I first toured MSU back in early 2017, I immediately fell in love and knew this campus would be my home for the next four years. I found the architecture breathtaking and thought the tightly-knit community, where everyone knew everyone, was truly special. Now, as I prepare to leave in May, I worry about some things I am seeing as I walk the Jesse Rogers Promenade for the last few times as an undergrad. No longer do I feel the same family-like connection from everyone I meet like I did just a few years ago. No longer do we have any pride in our campus, nor our identity. I see people not following COVID prevention guidelines. I see people littering. I see people spreading rumors and lies about others that do nothing but cause drama. I see a handful of individuals making rash decisions for the campus that affect the masses. I see more hate and divide than I ever thought I would.
Is this the Mustang experience? Is this the Mustang way? We need to look back only a few years to find real pride and real school spirit at MSU. Football games were sellouts. The Mustang Maniacs were in full force. Whatever happened to them? There are 2A high school games with louder student sections than ours. There were days where organizations would host events together and promote one another rather than attacking their peers on Twitter. Incoming freshmen were excited to take part in all the campus traditions. I remember Roundup and Stampede Week events being standing-roomonly. I remember panicking trying to find a T-shirt to exchange before the bonfire, going from store to store with no luck as they had all already been purchased by my fellow students. I remember the excitement of visiting the lights and the frantic frenzy that was finals. Now things have changed. “Oh well, it’s just another school event.” The magic of the dome, the subtle wideberth given to the seal are things of the past. And for what reason? Are we all too cool for these traditions now?
