COMING into a new year, students are excited by the opportunity of new attitudes, new ideas and hopeful gateways to a more successful year than the last. It’s a way of rebirth and the joy of having a fresh start; anything is possible and self-confidence is held high. The past cannot be forgotten, but can only be remembered as a sign of growth and prosperity. Success only comes with reason and understanding. With a new school year barely off the ground, black students must maintain an optimistic poise about the current year and not lose focus. The years spent at the University are only what students make of them. Problems can only occur when motivation slips out of their hands.
Black students at the University continue to raise the bar with a steadily increasing number of residents living on the Lawn, groups and organizations forming and stepping outside of the black community or simply coming together for the welfare of the general student body. The number of students preparing for their professional lives is going at an optimistic pace with more and more black students succeeding in making it to the Commerce School: roughly 4.1 percent of Commerce students are black. Many still have their hearts and curricula set on proceeding to top medical schools; some are preparing for the skillful journey of law school and putting their time aside for the LSAT; plus many others who keep their goals in mind without letting the harsh curriculum of the University or their ongoing extracurricular activities make them too harried to focus. It is a prosperous time for black students at the University; they’re learning to use the University to their full advantage.
We all come to the University believing that we want to become someone outstanding, and if we have the chance to be the next Mr. or Ms. University during the process, wonderful! The University sets the standard for blacks that they can do whatever they want; if they have the ability to be accepted then they have the ability to make it to the top with everyone else.
Heading black organizations and joining traditional clubs such as the Honor Committee and the Jefferson Society is now at the top of their priorities. Being a black student does not mean that they have to stick within the black community, but it requires more than that. Being a University student in general doesn’t necessarily imply that they should join every organization to live on the Lawn and to have something to add to their resumes as a good touch to job applications. They have learned to balance their interests. They do not allow themselves or others to set their limitations because they do not admit any from interfering with their daily lives and goals.
As a recognized black student myself, I have come to believe that many of us want to branch out of the mold that is placed upon us. We do so much within the community, and if we’re stopped, we keep on trying. That’s the wonder of our race. Regardless of what happens, we continue to pursue, which we must maintain while living our lives as students at the University and even after we leave this honorary home: We must continue to pursue and reach that destination that we have planned for ourselves and for the benefit of others. If we do not, how can we reach further and do things far greater than what we’re used to? We’re so used to having others place judgments on us, whether it’s another race or ethnicity, and adhering to those boundaries and rules.
However, it breaks down to us and how we view ourselves and what we can make out of our situations. From the many circumstances that have arisen from the University, both good and bad, we continue to keep our heads high, looking for the next best opportunity while still showing love and dedication to our academic home. For us to ensure that we keep a positive environment at the University, we have to learn to keep a positive attitude within ourselves and keep a steady grip on our dedication throughout not only the entire year, but the rest of our University careers and beyond. This is our University.
Brooke Howard is the Black Student Alliance political action director and a Cavalier Daily contributor.
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