There's a saying that I really like by a man that I really don't like: Ross Perot. He said, "If you see a snake, kill it. Don't form a committee on killing snakes."
Aside from the fact that Mr. Perot's snake-slaying agenda seems a bit misplaced, his point remains relatively sound - if something needs to be done, just do it.
The advice can be a double-edged sword (as our short-lived Hoover Gates can attest), but for the most part, well-planned action on the part of the individual beats out the slow-moving monster of bureaucracy.
Mr. Perot's advice could be applied to the DePauw bubble, at least on a personal level. I'm not attempting to question the processes by which funds are allocated for university buildings or the quick construction and/or removal of campus fire pits, staircases and garish power outlets along the Burkhardt walkway.
What I mean is a level of personal responsibility that seems to evade people my age, very much including myself.
What happens when an email goes unanswered by a professor? We pout and blame our confusion and declining grades on the professor instead of talking to her directly after class or utilizing campus resources like the Academic Resource Center (a pretty apt name, yes?) to help make our lives easier.
It is remarkably easy to hide behind a veil of technological anonymity and convenience. A classmate recently revealed to my class that he was much more likely to say something rude via text or email than he was in person.
I'm not vilifying digital interaction against personal interaction. Quite the opposite, in fact, as digital communication is not going anywhere anytime soon. But I do think it is imperative that people of all ages pull down the curtain of technological anonymity and allow themselves to be put into situations where you are "killing the snake," as it were.
Direct and open discourse is the way to open channels that can be voluntarily closed by digital communication. Again, if something needs to be done, just do it. Don't twiddle your thumbs waiting for an email from a professor - visit during office hours or stop by the secretary of his or her department.
If you hear from a friend of a friend that your other friend said you're "whack," don't post an angry Facebook status about it while listening to Evanescence. Just talk it out.
I'm still attempting to apply this principle to my own life, and it becomes more difficult the deeper you become embedded in your society, organization or cause. But by killing the snake, you'll find that life becomes a lot less stressful due to less waiting around for the world to react to you. Instead, we should be acting, and hoping that the world keeps up with us.
- Shapiro is a senior from Southport, Ind. majoring in English literature.