Students, speak up

Freshmen, speak up. None of you have a voice in class. This is very distressing. Back in ’97 when I first attended Western, I too, had no voice of my own. High school teaches us to listen, take notes and pass tests. Can this philosophy be applied in college? Sure, if all you want is a degree.

College is more than a degree. Sure, it looks great hanging on the wall, but what does a degree actually do?

You go to school for two years and you can have an associate’s degree. If you go for four they may even give you a bachelor’s. But a degree is a piece of paper in a frame. When you go job hunting with your shiny new degree, what are you selling? Hey, Mr. Schmuckatelli, look at this nifty piece of paper right here. What is this worth to you? He is going to tell you that it is worth about a nickel and send you on to your next potential employer. To be truly marketable in the job market, you have to sell yourself. You have to take control of your future.

You simply can’t wait to be asked to speak all the time. In effect, the degree that you are all so diligently hunting is an extension and testimonial of your abilities in your field of study. The job market today is more competitive than ever.

Are the job opportunities going to go to the timid person with the 4.0 grade point average or the go-getter with a voice and a 3.0?

Let this be your first piece of life advice: speak your mind and stand firm to what you believe. If you can’t even answer a math problem without the fear of being proved wrong, how can you expect to convince Mr. Schmuckatelli that you are the only one that is right for the job?

Jake Jordan

Louisville freshman