It seems as though last week?s non-ASI related column threw some readers for a loop. My sappy attempt at eulogizing a favorite professor?and deliberate attempt to not write about ASI?spurred a few readers to e-mail me requesting an opinion on the outcome of the election. As I have written several times in the past, the outcome of the election was sure to be positive, and staying true to my predictions prior to the election, it was positive indeed. The elections were about much more than ASI. They were about the future of our campus.

The commuter campus label that Sac State has been stuck with for so long is slowly being torn down. Participation in all aspects of campus life (not just ASI) is on the rise. We have chosen an ASI board that is dedicated to improving retention rates of students who historically don?t last a full year, let alone get a degree. And we have also seen the advent of full-time political parties (also known as advocacy groups) here on campus.

While many bemoan the existence of such groups in government, the presence of a group pushing an agenda at the campus level really excites me. Not only do they provide a way for students to become accustomed to the world of our student government, they also breed participation and pride on our campus. They give students a real reason to care.

These are the first steps in the war on the Sac State commuter campus image. And the first steps are always the biggest in matters such as this.

That is why I am excited about the possibilities for the upcoming school year and I urge everyone to not let this great opportunity pass us by. There is no better time than now to become active on campus. And for those of you who treat Sac State like a four-year junior college and travel from your cars to your classes and back?you are really missing out.

There is so much more to college life than that, and I should know, I used to be one of those students. Commuting to school really wasn?t that bad, but there wasn?t anything to keep me at the campus. I had no reason to break the car-to-class routine until I was presented with the opportunity to become a part of something. And this is the key in getting people involved and caring about the campus.

A lot of students out there don?t have the opportunity to really get involved in campus activities because they are never presented the chance to do so. This is the challenge that I pose to incoming ASI President Art Pimentel and other campus leaders: Get these students involved and caring about campus issues.

Just remember that college can be the time of your life if you put forth the effort to make it that way.

Brendan D. Wonnacott is a Government & History major and is the opinion editor of The State Hornet. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 278-7567.