Apathy is running rampant at West Chester University. Rampant.September 11, 2001, is a day ingrained in our minds and lives forever. The terrible tragedies we endured, the incredible bravery we exhibited and the unimaginable plight we had yet to endure is something we try to remember each eleventh day of every September since. The world stopped on September 11, and for a moment in time, to mark the words of Jean-Marie Colombani on Sept. 12, 2001, “we are all Americans.”
Each year, we remember those we lost, we pray for their families, friends, loved ones. Each year, we try to pay our respects in a new, almost clever way, so as not to repeat any past memorial services we may have held.
This year, Student Government Association hosted a memorial service in the academic quad to mark the fifth anniversary of the attack on our country. University President Madeleine Wing Adler and student body President Kyle J. Mullins spoke words of encouragement to the crowd of–.
Okay, now be prepared, here comes the part that you read, gasp, and look up in disgrace.
–120 students. The administrative and student presidents spoke words of encouragement to the crowd of 120 students. One hundred and twenty students made it out to the academic quad to pay tribute to the over 3,000 lives lost on September 11. That is a complete and utter atrocity, and it makes me question the respect and integrity of today’s youth.
West Chester University has more than 13,000 students enrolled this fall. More than 4,000 of them live on campus and more than 3,000 of them live directly off-campus. The remainder of the school’s students commute. Out of the 7,000-plus students within walking distance of the academic quad, 120 took the walk, stood for 20 minutes, and left. Disgraceful.
The service began shortly after 6 p.m. Several classes were being dismissed from Main Hall and students were filing in and out of FHG Library. In more instances than not-in fact, in nearly every instance-they walked right past the service. They didn’t stop, just for a second, they kept their heads down and kept on trucking. Disgraceful.
The apathy of today’s youth has always been beyond me. But in regards to something so plain, so basic, so God-damned elementary as a tribute to the victims of the most violent attack on American soil, what’s the excuse for not taking 20 minutes-just 20 minutes-out of your evening, to remember 3,000 lost lives? Hungry? Too much studying? Tired? Grow a fucking backbone and have some respect.
The service was not advertised as loudly as in years past, and thus, many students were unaware of the service. That’s fine. And if you had class-that’s fine also. But it’s hard for me to believe that out of the 7,000 students that live so close to where the service was held, 6,880 of them had class or weren’t aware that 9/11 is a day of mourning.
The apathy at this school runs so much deeper than a memorial service for September 11. All one must do is take a look at the attendance of our football games, Aramark’s foodservice, a SAIL or Women’s Center program, student attendance at a SAC program, the un-willingness of certain academic and administrative offices to work with students, or the liveliness of campus at 10 o’clock on a Sunday to see the incredible laziness of the student body. College is not just about going to class and getting drunk. Don’t do everything, but for God sakes-do something!
The turnout at the 9/11 memorial service was a pity. It was a disgrace to the ones we lost, it was a disgrace to the survivors and it was a disgrace to this university. It’s a good thing that only 120 people were there to witness the unrelenting apathy of the 13,000 people that weren’t.
This article was submitted by a WCU student who wishes to remain anonymous.