As unique as it is purported to be, the Elmhurst Experience does leave a lot of room for apathy.
Lectures echo off of empty seats, awareness-weeks pass by in obscurity, and events in the Roost are lucky if they can draw the crowd away from the television.
The fitting conclusion would be that the students do not care, but this is not entirely their fault. The social environment does not allow for a lot of enthusiasm.
Unless ladies’ boutiques and nail salons are your thing, there is not a whole lot to do downtown, and with campus events like live-band karaoke, laying around in one’s own filth seems just as worthy as an alternative.
It is easy to go stir crazy in Elmhurst and even easier to get bored. These are optimal breeding conditions for apathy, and not even trivia night at Charlie’s can stave it off.
Unfortunately, the longer you lay on your futon, the more comfortable it becomes. When important events finally do come to campus, there is hardly enough motivation to wedge your self out.
The only way to move past apathy is through conscious effort. Elmhurst does not have the luxury of a campus teeming with vibrancy and life. It will grind you down to a languid pulp if you are not careful.
This is a reality we all must accept and move beyond.
Elmhurst has so many resources to take advantage of. A sprawling orchard of organizations, societies, and events is ripe for the picking, and there is nothing stopping you from doing so. Wreaking drunken havoc on Stanger may be fun, but there are so many better outlets for your time.
Ultimately, you have to find ways to motivate yourself. That is not the most original advice, but it is the best we can give. Correcting apathy has to be done at a personal level.
We are not immune to apathy either, nor do we pretend to be. Many of us have had to overcome it ourselves. So, we are in no position to berate you if you opted to watch Netflix instead of seeing Naomi Wolf.
We have all been there before. Couches are more comfortable than church pews. Doing nothing is much more relaxing than doing something.
At some point, however, you will reach the laze threshold. Your listless lifestyle will evaporate, and you will find yourself thinking, “Damn, I really should be doing something.”
There is no guarantee when that day will come, but it will, and hopefully you realize it sooner rather than later. Otherwise, “should be doing” will become “should have done”, and only regret to show for it.
