"Fight for Your Right to Party"

      I realize that this blog started out as something completely different, but from now on I will simply be using it as a tool to communicate what I am passionate about whether I'm reaching an audience of just a few friends or my entire community. Thank you for reading.

      As you may know, I am a proud student at the University of Oklahoma. I'm well into my second year here, only lately, I'm far less proud of my university and the people here than I used to be. In the past few days, many of my fellow students have banded together around a cause and are pursuing it with a passion that I haven't seen on campus before. Normally, this display of dedication and excitement from a student body would be inspiring. Honestly, that is my DREAM for my campus- to see students banding together and putting all of their passion and energy into a cause. In this case though, the cause is utterly disappointing and I have never been so ashamed of my peers.

      #FreeOUGreek

      Have you seen the hashtag circulating social media? I've seen it on twitter, FaceBook, posters, and written in chalk on the sidewalks around OU's campus. Out of curiosity, I looked it up and was honestly confused by the whole thing. There were dozens of tweets using this hashtag, but none actually explained the issue to me. What does OU Greek need to be freed from? I could tell that my fellow students were worked up about something but I didn't know about what until this evening when I read an article in OU Daily explaining the whole issue.
      (Go read their article, but I'll try to summarize) Essentially, the Interfraternity Council and Student Conduct offices on campus are starting to crack down a little more and enforce OU's Student Alcohol Policy. This could mean things like undercover Student Conduct authorities going to bars on the weekends looking for underage drinkers, or IFC authorities going into frat houses and giving the fraternity or sorority strikes for having alcohol. IFC can demand the I.D.s of people attending a party who are drinking underage. So basically, the Greek community at my school is making a big stink about not being able to get away with getting drunk at their parties when they know they are underage.
     After reading this information, I was blown away that that is the big issue everyone was tweeting about. That is the cause that my fellow students have chosen to be involved in. Now, I'm not saying that it was the majority of my university or even the majority of the Greek community saying these things. I am saying that I have heard more about and seen more people get involved in this issue than most other issues on campus. Here are some of the tweets I saw:
(the two that I find most unbelievable are found in the bottom-right corner)
    

 

      I'll give you a second to soak all of that in and cry for our country's future...

 

      Here is my problem with all of it and the reason I am writing: what a (frankly) DUMB thing to be passionate about! It makes me genuinely sad to see so many people worked up and excited about a cause that is so worthless. We have about 4 years at college and we get to choose how to spend them and where to use our voices. I'm incredibly disappointed that so many of my peers have chosen to pour themselves into demanding the freedom to break the law just because they want to have fun. "Fight for your right to party." What a stirring call to action...

      Why not fight for the 27 MILLION people being trafficked right now? Why not stand up against bullying and violence in schools? Why not speak out against self-harm? If you want to change your campus, why not use your voice to cause your university to purchase Fair Trade products? THAT is something worth fighting for. I have hope that someday my school will support sustainable economies by buying its products for fair pay from people in safe working conditions. That will only be accomplished if the student body speaks out. If students used their voices for something like asking their university to go Fair Trade ? Wow. That would be amazing.

      My generation is extremely passionate. We get worked up easily. Social media contributes to this. We see a hashtag trending worldwide and we want in on it. We want to make an impact and we want to be heard.

People, make sure that what you say is something worth saying.

      Whining about the fact that you might get busted now for drinking is not inspiring. Let's try again. Let's make National news for a movement on campus for GOOD this time. Be passionate. I absolutely love that about our generation. Just watch what issues you choose to fight for. There is so much potential for my campus and my generation in the years to come.

Boomer Sooner, ladies and gentlemen.