It is a new school year which means a fresh new start with new beginnings for everyone, whether you’re an incoming freshman or a soon to be graduating senior. To start the school year off on a high note, students should strive for a more positive attitude despite the unfortunate events that have occurred over the last couple years. Students should have pride in our school, be more school-spirited and take advantage of all the opportunities NIU offers.

In order to move past the stereotype of going to a ‘ghetto’ school, students should, themselves, stop stereotyping the school. Jokes about crime on campus and identifying NIU as a school that’s not safe has turned into the norm for students. Joking around about the possibility of getting shot is not funny and could be offensive to some students. When I talked to people at work over the summer, I would usually get a shocking response from them when I mentioned I went to NIU. The common response was usually something like, “Oh my gosh, were you there when the shooting happened?” or “Wasn’t that where the girl went missing?”

Students should encourage each other to have a more positive attitude about moving past the unfortunate events our NIU huskies have encountered.

“All the things that happened last year are really sad and tragic for everyone involved but they can also happen anywhere. It’s a matter of being safe and making smart decisions,” said Samantha Pucci, sophomore family and child studies major. The more people begin to think of NIU’s campus as a home and safe place again, the less stereotypes the University will carry. It has to start with the students first.

Students should have pride in our school and be supportive of all the different teams and organizations the University has to offer. With the new football season approaching, there should be at least half of the campus attending football games and cheering for our fellow huskies. Although some people are busy and like to go home on the weekends for other priorities, students should make it a personal goal to attend at least one football game. I don’t just mean tailgating at the games. I mean actually making it inside the stadium and showing your support for the team that works hard throughout the year. It would be a shame to go all four years through college and not be able to say you went to a game. It’s a fun experience that all students should do.

Lastly, getting involved on campus is a great way to meet people and keeps you busy throughout the year. Instead of just going to class, doing homework, and then spending the rest of the day watching TV, there are numerous ways to become a part of something on campus. If you look on the NIU website, there are many organizations such as Campus Activities Board (CAB), Red Riot, Student Association (SA), club sports, greek life, and many more that will allow you to help out the campus-community. It is also good because besides providing time management skills, it could also help in building a resume.

I think it’s important to start off the new school year with a positive attitude. It is much easier to do so when students can focus on all the benefits about NIU, such as strong students, school pride, and extracurricular activities to keep our campus united as a whole.