OPINION: Logan, USU provide many opportunities
Welcome back, Aggies. We are kicking off another great year here at Utah State University. What more could we ask for? We have it all: Football, fun activities and people to meet, just to name a few. Isn’t it good to be back?
I spent this past summer here in Logan and I would like to make a recommendation to you. If you haven’t taken classes during the summer months, do it. You will fall even more in love with USU. I mention this because as I stayed here these past few months, that’s exactly what happened. I realized, to a greater extent, how fortunate we are to be students here at this institution. We have administrators that genuinely care for us. We have fantastic professors that provide a great education. Do I even need to mention the great extracurricular activities in which we get to participate?
In my own opinion, the greatest thing we have as USU students is opportunity – more specifically, the opportunity to try new things. Unfortunately, many of us do not take advantage of this opportunity. I don’t know why we don’t try new and different things more often. It’s a great way to learn more about yourself, meet new people, and find new passions.
Now, I wouldn’t dare blame anyone for not trying something new. We all have encountered fear, fatigue, or just plain indecisiveness when we have a chance to do something we haven’t done before. I think that with the right support, we can get over these obstacles. We can get over anything that faces us.
At the start of this new school year, I want to encourage you to try something new. Trying something new will be a personal and conscious decision for you. These new things will be wide and varied. Maybe you haven’t taken the curling class yet. It’s possible that you have always wanted to ask that special someone out. How about getting involved with the student government, clubs or the Service Center? I’m not sure what you haven’t done yet, but if you haven’t done it you should seriously consider it.
As you start to try new things you, as an individual, will grow and stretch. That’s why you are here, right? Not just to get a piece of paper that states that you went to four years of school – because that would be a waste. You came to Utah State University to gain knowledge on how to be a better person and a contributor to society. I will tell you right now that you cannot do this, with full efficacy, by doing the same things you have always done and by doing nothing else besides attending class.
If you are having trouble finding something new to do or you just need a little encouragement, come stop by my office or the office of any of the ASUSU Officers. They are located on the third floor of the TSC. We will be more than happy to help you out in any way that we possibly can. After all, that is our job. That is the reason you elected us in the first place.
Christian Thrapp is the 2012-13 ASUSU president. Thrapp can be reached for comment at his office in TSC 326C or via email at christian.thrapp@aggiemail.usu.edu.