Graduates who demonstrated exemplary work ethic put Texas A&M on the map, but I fear that our current generation of Aggies is being overly transformed and influenced by a contemporary American attitude of entitlement.
While A&M University President Robert M. Gates outlined an admissions plan based on individual merit, any current student who begins to feel as if he deserves to be at A&M based solely on what he has achieved in the past is sorely misguided – it is a continual commitment.
Some students think they are entitled to be here because of their test scores; others because of the maroon in their blood; and still others because of some special aspect they believe they will bring to campus. While all of these can be factors in the admissions process, a sense of entitlement must be left behind upon arriving in College Station.
The moment someone attempts to rest on his laurels is the moment our collective Aggie pride stops growing. Each and every one of us who attends this institution should expect to be challenged and called to put forth our best effort at all times. Any other attitude will wreak havoc on every aspect of our University, from academics to traditions.
How guilty are we of walking into our classrooms and expecting to receive a maximum grade while contributing only marginal effort? How guilty are we of expecting A&M traditions to remain strong, but justify our absences at Sul Ross on Tuesday nights and Kyle Field on the weekends? How guilty are we of boasting about “Howdy!” but spending all of our time between classes on a cell phone? How guilty are we of bemoaning the diminishing atmosphere, but sitting in silence next to a person on the bus? How guilty are we of wanting to hold leadership positions, but being unwilling to undergo leadership training and development?
I certainly can’t claim to have coined the phrase, but anything worth having comes at a substantial cost.
In the past, the rights and privileges of Aggies have been bought through difficult and trying conditions, lives spent at war, strict discipline and financial hardship. As more of us have moved into satisfying living arrangements, chosen less demanding fields of study and become more in-tune with our technological gadgets than our neighbors, we have become less likely to understand the concepts of sacrifice and hard work.
These are the values which we must once again cherish if we are to survive the many challenges that we face as a University. These challenges range from striving to maintain our distinctive heritage and traditions to ensuring the continued sense of Aggie family and facing increasing costs to coping with the Information Age.
There are hundreds of students who want to be here and who would take your spot on this campus in a heartbeat. In what way are you contributing and giving back to this University community? Perhaps we have become so focused on debates and discussions about Aggie Spirit that we have forgotten the effort we must put forth to keep it alive.
Regardless of any other element of our backgrounds and achievements, we must all be committed to excellence. Doing so is the only way to ensure that our University maintains its reputation for yielding graduates with a superior work ethic.