By Yeukai Mudzi

Macalester is far from perfect. Each semester we see examples of incivility and intolerance on a campus that prides itself on diversity and respect. We see divisions between athletes and non-athletes, international students and domestics, conservatives and liberals and across other areas of diversity. In a recent survey, nearly half of students’ responses indicated that they’d felt disrespected by a fellow student at some point at Mac.We’ve heard this all before. Mac students are phenomenal at diagnosing the flaws of this college. One is bound to hear about a complaint or a criticism each day on campus. What are you doing to continue to improve Macalester? Come to the introductory meeting of the “Build a Better Mac” coalition next Wednesday, November 10th at 5pm in the Weyerhaeuser Boardroom. This is an opportunity for students to pursue grassroots change on our campus on any and all issues that students see as important or divisive.

This might sound like every other vague campus initiative that you’ve read about in the past. The intention is for the coalition to be open so that everyone can contribute their voices without a pre-contrived agenda. We want students to come together in a room and have an honest discussion about what issues need to be addressed. We as students can take the lead in addressing them. Far too often we are content to stand on the sidelines claiming that Mac isn’t good. But if we really want to consider ourselves activists, we need to be committed to improving our own community in the same way that many of us are committed to changing the world.

So if you have ideas about things you’d like to see changed at Mac, come to Weyerhauser Boardroom at 5pm on November 10th. Together, we as the student body of Macalester will provide ideas on how to invigorate the process of building a better Macalester.