Hello fellow members of Wolfpack nation.  If this is your first day on campus, welcome to your new home.  For those of you returning, it is that time of year again. A lot has happened this summer that I could write about, but I am sure that you are all sick of hearing and reading about BP, Tiger Woods, and Prop 8. I will have plenty of time to comment on political issues and current events, but for my first column of the year I wanted to do something a little different.

America is in a strange for place for everyone right now. We have finally surpassed an economic recession, but those who have been hit the hardest are seeing little to no improvement. Liberals in our country are disgruntled by the fact that nothing seems to be going their way, and they must face the reality that 2010 is an election year. Conservatives are siding in two different camps. Tea Party conservatives are seeking radical change with limited government interaction, while other conservatives want fiscal responsibility, but must face the reality that Machiavelli was right and there has to be  some checks on a free market to ensure that certain individuals do not abuse the system.  The polarization of parties seems to be moving farther apart opposed to coming closer together. Americans are losing faith in the system because it is now more apparent than ever that polarization has replaced cooperation.

Individuals like you and I are (or at least should be) worried about our futures. The job market does not look promising right now. I am sure many of you even struggled to find summer jobs, and those of us that were lucky enough to have jobs probably saw a decrease in hours and/or pay.  The news and media only seem to bring disheartening news and sling mud over politics and controversy.  The “land of opportunity” seems to be more like the land of false hopes and dreams.  I guess it is just time to accept that the world is a nasty place and we should just become numb to the pain. Wrong.

Now is the most appropriate time to realize our potential as human beings. It is time that we become responsible for what we do. I am not sure where people get this false sense of entitlement that the world owes them something. That is just simply not the way the world works.  The more time and effort that an individual puts into something, the more they will get from it.  We should all be proactive and ambitious, but we also need to do things in responsible and moral ways. What Tiger Woods is doing off the golf course, and where BP executives are taking vacation just simply are not that important. It is more important to remain focused on what you CAN change. As individuals, you should be focused on how you can improve your life and hopefully others around.

It is not easy to control what others do. I cannot promise you that other individuals will always act morally because it is almost certain that someone will always act inappropriately. I can promise you that if you take the time to evaluate your decisions and make the responsible choices — benefits will follow. Making the most of our situations is always more beneficial then wishing they were different.  No life on this Earth will ever be perfect. Don’t let American anxiety hinder your personal development — take a proactive approach to life.