Editorial: The Collegian retrospective
Celebrating one year's passing, another's start

April 25, 2007

A good many 18 to 22-year-olds currently enrolled in a four-year school would say that college is a pretty good time. Your friends are always a short walk away, you get to sleep until noon on Mondays (for those with no morning classes) and parents play a small role in what you eat for dinner and how loud you play music. However, among all the parties, football games and formals, there are times that remind us that college life isn’t always easy.

College students are at an exciting, yet difficult, time in their lives. Our future seems full of possibilities, but the seemingly endless options are often overwhelming. We have friends and family to support us, but the stress of homework, jobs and impending graduation are often hard to cope with. On top of all this, catastrophic events often rock the world we are struggling to understand.

Most recently, the shootings at Virginia Tech were a tragic wake-up call for college students everywhere. Not only because of the senseless loss of innocent lives, but because the massacre was a painful reminder of how frightening the world can be. We at La Salle have seen our share of lives cut short this year, with the deaths of students Willie Maldonado and Joe Miles. The family and friends of these students were left to mourn the loss of their loved ones, reeling in the wake of all too poignant tragedy.

Although most of us will look back on our days at La Salle fondly, the experience is not without its dark moments. These times of sadness certainly aren’t our favorite college memories, but we mustn’t bury or ignore them, because it is often the difficult times in our lives that we end up learning the most from.

At the Collegian, we have had to report stories that were unpleasant to read about, such as the recent arrest of former history professor Roderick Vosburgh. Although we take pride in our school, when negative things happen here, we must inform our readers with honesty and accuracy. Besides the sense of journalistic obligation we feel to present a truthful picture of our environment, we also realize that our time at La Salle is a time to face the simple fact that we have to grow up and see the world for what it is, flaws and all.

This year, we have been proud to report positive news about our school. Recently, we have published stories about the addition of online summer courses, new art exhibits and campus visits from distinguished speakers. La Salle University is growing just as much as its students are, and we are excited to see what lies in our school’s future. We encourage Lasallians to stand behind their school and support it, while remaining inquisitive and never settling for less than the best.

Each and every student at La Salle has so many opportunities to grow and learn, from the many service projects students are involved in to the talented professors who teach here, and are willing to take the time to guide young people to their desired career. Students should appreciate and take advantage of these resources, and the Collegian is eager to tell the success stories of students, staff and alumni who have made a difference.

At the same time, we will never stop being critical of the world around us. The Collegian was proud to report on the student-led protest that took place March 20, in which young veterans and activists voiced their opinions about the war in Iraq. It is encouraging to see people our age stand for something they strongly believe in, even if it means defying those in power.

The Collegian will continue to challenge La Salle to stand out in excellence. We have faith in this University, and we often point out its flaws out of love for our school. The stories we tell will change each year, but our desire to inform, entertain and raise questions will remain. At the same time, controversy, scandal and the resulting grief are not going anywhere, and neither is our coverage of them. We value honesty, and our ultimate goal is to present a reliable newspaper.

The Collegian must report bad news; the city of Philadelphia is suffering with murder and homelessness and our country is involved in a war. We are in the process of learning how to run this world and it is up to us to improve it. So, as the 2006-2007 school year draws to a close, we congratulate the graduating seniors and wish them well as they enter the real world, and we challenge students, alumni and staff to never stop challenging themselves and others. It is only then that we can truly make progress.