College Essay # 158

158. Reflect on these words of Dorothy Day: "No one has the right to sit down and feel hopeless. There's too much work to do." What is "the work to be done" for your generation, and what impact does this have on your future as a leader? Write a creative, reflective, or provocative essay. (University of Notre Dame)

Woodrow Wilson once said, “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”

I completely agree with this quote. Looking around at the different adults I come into contact with on a daily basis, I feel like the generation older than mine are only merely living to make a living. Many of those whom I know, don’t seem to be the least bit bothered about saving the environment, enriching the lives of those less fortunate, and don’t seem that concerned about sharing the knowledge they acquired with the rest of the world. Many teachers leave the school I attend, because the salary isn’t enough to sustain their family and themselves. Though I agree that low income is a valid reason to leave everything behind and go somewhere more prosperous, where does the idea of sharing visions, sharing knowledge, and helping the world gain a “finer spirit of hope and achievement come in?” Some students in my grade have had new advisors every single year. With people changing all the time, these students have no hope of connecting with teachers and having a trusting relationship, because there is no time to build one.

I agree with Dorothy Day when she says, “there is too much work to be done,” but I feel like there is numerous things that need working on. Our generation has been more aware of the global environmental crisis because we’ve been growing up with the knowledge that we’re destroying our earth. Yet, there seem to be no one taking much action upon this dilemma in our generation. People seem to be learning about it through one ear, and then throwing it out another ear. It’s ridiculous. They show that they seem to care, but they actually don’t. Many of my peers seem concerned about the poor and their living conditions, but they walk away when a beggar comes asking them for money or food. They show they care, but they actually don’t. There are many external things our generation can work on, but the biggest things we really need to work on are things within ourselves.

We need to build integrity, compassion, and determination to make a difference. My generation keeps talking about the things we’ll do and the ideas we’ll contribute to the world and to society, but when it comes time to taking action, nothing is done. We need to work on the idea of doing things rather than just saying them. We all know that there is “work to be done” but even with this concept, no one is willing to take the step forward to actually make a change. But when someone else starts it, they’re willing to join. I feel my generation is a coward, because they are afraid of taking that first step. They are willing to let someone else do it, and then say that they were part of the “planning process.” Is there integrity in that? Are people compassionate about the poor and about saving the environment? Are they really determined to really make a difference? No, not at all.