The Administration sucks. I can’t wait to get out of here. Living in Minneapolis is way cooler than living near Macalester. I’m soooo done with this place.

The above represents a set of statements and their related attitudes that I am absolutely tired of encountering in my peers at Macalester. Perhaps as a senior I hear sentiments such as these more often than I did in the earlier stages of my four years at Macalester because other upperclassmen are anxious to appear as though they are actually excited about “growing up” and moving on from college. Maybe we all feel like we really should look like we have some kind of plan set to begin the instant we have a diploma in our hot little hands. Honestly, I have fallen prey to these beliefs—I think about taking the GRE every so often, about moving to a warmer climate, and even have some loose arrangements to sleep on a friend’s couch for the summer after graduation while I look for a “real” job.

That being said, I believe it is important to point out that such high school-esque attitude, wherein it is somehow cool to complain all the time about how much we dislike our educational institution, how it holds us back, how the administration keeps us down, how we can’t wait to get the hell out, is quite frankly immature. That’s why I called it high school-esque.

I’m not trying to suggest that Macalester is some kind of utopia and that everyone should stop criticizing it right this instant. There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to the next stage in our lives—supposedly college prepares us for that transition. Also, student tussles with the administration are great! They serve as a check on administrative activities and I’m proud to say that there is probably very little that goes on in Weyerhaeuser or throughout campus that slips under our noses. However, it is important to look at administrative processes and policies with the big picture in mind. The attitude of “Me, me, me. The administration needs to give ME and my specific interest everything that I want” is obviously pretty selfish. In the face of faculty and department cuts, larger class sizes, and housing shortages I would even go so far as to say that it’s incredibly selfish to expect the college to give endless hand-outs. We are lucky enough, however, to have a receptive and responsive administration, one that makes time to listen and converse with students about their needs, concerns, and requests.

Perhaps what I’m really trying to get at here is that we, the student body, are extremely privileged to be here. I find it disheartening and disrespectful when I hear people with this unique privilege complaining about what they have. Recognize that there are plenty of people in the world who would eagerly take your spot and benefit from the numerous opportunities provided by Macalester. Also recognize that most likely, no one is forcing you to be here. To my knowledge, there are no truancy laws that affect the 18 to 23-year-old population. So instead of merely complaining amongst your peers, go ahead and try to effect change on campus. It may not immediately benefit you, but it could quite possibly help students down the line with similar concerns.