COLUMN: Millennials need to step up to the plate
Embarking on a new journey in life is a simple way to define going off to college.
The absence of those who were closest to you sets in, and the realization that this time here at the University of South Dakota is nothing more than your own and what you make of it.
Privilege is a word that should be used to describe the calling of a higher education, as hope is a word used when pursuing your dreams and pride is a word used when those dreams have been accomplished. We dare not forget that it is our duty to serve this country, and by doing so, we protect our freedoms and those of the next generation. Together we go forth, passing the torch of the American dream upward and onward.
Together, we signal to the rest of the world that we will, and cannot stop when times get hard. Together, we signal that if we empower others, we can all fulfill a greater destiny, a greater world and greater generations to come.
Our generation needs to carry with it an unwillingness to settle, especially when times get tough. Our mothers and fathers have worked very hard to get us to this point, just as our grandparents fought through wars and worked harder in the driven dust of the fields than we ever will. To see their future families succeed, the blood, sweat and tears that they have shed in the past have given way to what we can all call home today, and those moments simply cannot be forgotten.
Time eventually conquers all, and one day people will look back at our generation. They won’t care about our current style, as they will have their own to worry about. They will, however, ask the same question of our generation that we have asked of our past generations. The question shall not be what have you done to help your fellow man, but why haven’t you done even more for the common good of all of mankind?
Those are the scenarios and questions that drive me not just to share my opinions but to search for the actual truths and solutions, that are common sense and that we can all agree on. It is easy to express my opinion about an issue but without facts behind our opinions, they can fail to qualify as a valid contribution to all of mankind. The real value is not offering just an opinion, but by joining others with different opinions and seeking solutions that will contribute to the overall success of society. Together, we must go beyond talk and continuously become a greater generation.
Together, we can be on a long march forward and overcome any burdens while becoming a greater version of ourselves and a greater America. To my fellow Americans, classmates and to all of my fellow men and women; go forth and change the world.
Reach columnist Jake Jungers at [email protected]
