While readying myself for my upcoming graduation, I can look back on my four years at NIU as a satisfying experience overall. All of the clubs and opportunities I had wanted were available to me, with maybe the exception of a Beard Appreciation Club.

But I’m not going to fool myself into thinking that what I wanted out of university is going to be what others want out of university, nor am I going to believe NIU provides everything others are looking for.

In fact, I know that DeKalb doesn’t offer everything students want out of it. I know because they complain loudly and often. And that’s okay. Students are allowed to complain because they’re paying good money to be here.

What I have noticed, however, is that for many, their action stops at complaining. If that were not bad enough, it seems as if the complaints are always expressed with an air of defeat-“something sucks and nothing will ever change it.”

Curiously, that attitude of resigning to fate and recognition of implacable suckitude arrives long before any attempt is made to change whatever is unsatisfactory. And so, we’re stuck in an infinite loop of complaints with no action taken to resolve them.

If you find NIU lacking in some regard, don’t just complain about it. Find a way to address the problem. Chances are that there are others who want the same things out of college as you. Isn’t that why you’re complaining to your friends, or finding yourself nodding in agreement, in the first place?

If you’re concerned with particular social issues or have a hobby that’s underrepresented on campus, found a club. Is an academic department lacking in some way? Form a petition and submit it to the administration or talk to some of your professors.

Change is not impossible. This campus has been transformed by students who desired something more out of it and took the effort to forge the community they wanted, whether it was coming together for human rights, provoking a bit of free thought or just reliving a good-natured game of tag with a zombie twist.

So for those who still have a year, or three, of NIU ahead of you, reflect on what it is you want out of your college experience.

Mahatma Gandhi once said to be the change you wish to see in the world. Fortunately for you, you don’t have to go on a hunger strike to be and make the change you want to see on campus.