Although the majority of UM students has been embracing and enjoying the intense debate experience thus far, some have made it their business to engage in complaining marathons. Given the invaluable opportunity we have to experience a presidential debate firsthand, this griping is unacceptable.
Stop fussing over having to wear green UM lanyards with our ‘Cane cards attached to them. Wearing identification is no big deal and requires minimal effort. In fact, many of us were used to this practice in high school, and we’ll most likely have to comply with it again in the future. Requiring identification is an essential security measure that only lasts four days. And, being concerned about a possible “negative fashion statement” is ridiculous. Fashion ought to be the last thing on our minds this week.
Stop complaining about the Wellness Center closing. Oh, we love our first-class gym, and it’s vital to maintain an exercise routine, but the Wellness Center is one of the reasons why we have the Presidential Debate on campus – had we not had it to use as a media filing center, we may not have been eligible to host the event. Plus, the Wellness Center has done its best to provide students with as many services as possible in spite of its closing, rescheduling yoga and aerobics classes in the UC Ballrooms for the time being. And, if you miss the treadmill, there’s a simple solution: Jog outdoors (hurricane permitting, of course)!
Stop whining about parking. This may be the biggest inconvenience stemming from the debate, considering that the parking on campus (or lack thereof) was already problematic before this event brought along numerous lot closures. Since last week, commuters in particular have had to deal with increased traffic and parking quite a hike away from class in the grass lots – grass that turns into mud with the frequent rain. Despite this hassle, we should keep putting our game faces on and dealing with it, showing what good sports we are (well, at least off the football field!).
Finally, stop protesting about midterms. It’s unfortunate that debate week coincides with one-third of the way through the semester, which means that many of us will not be able to attend some events due to exams. Professors should have foreseen this and postponed their tests until next week. However, it’s too late to do anything about it now. Syllabi are set in stone and the University decided against canceling classes because it wants students on campus as much as possible to live and breathe politics. Groaning won’t get us anywhere.
Let’s ignore these trifling problems and just be appreciative for a few days. All in all, it’s exciting to juggle class with debate volunteering, attending special events, and absorbing the excitement around us. We’ll be missing it come Monday of next week.