Being a United Student Government (USG) senator representing the Conservatory of Performing Arts is harder when people do not want to put their all into the organization.

As someone who has served on USG for my entire freshman year, I’ve noticed that we’re only known for two things in this school: not having a big enough budget to give clubs the money they deserve and being the organization students go to complain about the lack of ranch in the café.

I first started participating in student government in high school my junior year, running for, and then becoming the president of my class. I ran, again, for my senior year and lost, but that’s another story.

Going into Point Park, I was excited to hear that we had a student government and I could represent an entire school with three other senators. I looked forward to making some real changes, but I realized how difficult making real, undeniable change, is.

To be in USG is to have patience with the administration and understand the time it takes to reach them. Trying to connect the students with the administration is hard when they do not want to connect with us.

We need more people who are willing to continue to push for change no matter how long or difficult it becomes and actually try. Students are apathetic toward putting effort into change unless it directly affects them.

Everyone wants to believe they can change the world and that they can make a difference, and you should because you can. But how is anything supposed to get done if no one cares or only cares a little? I understand that this is a recurring topic – students and apathy – but we can’t seem to get it through, so here’s one more shot.

Doubting the impact one strong-minded person can make is a fool’s thought. Make changes at every opportunity you see. Whether it be within your own club, friend group or even inside the United Student Government. Make a change.