I was proud and excited to be a part of Higher Education Day last Thursday as a representative of The Flor-Ala. It was the first time I had been able to go, and it was also the first time I had covered an event like that as a reporter.

When I reflect back on the day now, I wish more UNA students could have been there to enjoy the same experience, ask questions of their state leaders and feel as if they were at least attempting to spark change in Alabama’s education system. However, only 21 out of 200 UNA students that were signed up came out, which was somewhat alarming and embarrassing.

Three charter buses that were there at 5:30 a.m. to take all of us were reduced down to one, and we were one of the smallest groups of students at the rally. In comparison to Auburn, Montevallo and Jacksonville State, our student support in terms of numbers seemed to be severely lacking.

To be fair, there were issues behind-the-scenes with SGA in which a different Senate member had to step in as the main organizer halfway through the Higher Ed Day recruitment process, and that may have had an effect on the number of students who showed up.

Unfortunately, I think the lack of numbers goes deeper than the above explanation as to why so few students, including SGA members, came out to the important rally. I believe this is just another example of how apathetic so many young people seem to be about bigger issues in Alabama, the U.S. and across the globe.

At the event, I actually overheard a UAH student ask before the rally even started, “Can we just politely end this thing now?” So it wasn’t just UNA that demonstrated indifference at Higher Ed Day.

The SGA referendum on whether students wanted to go Division I or not showed a majority of UNA students were against the move, although I question how educated they were in their strong stance against it. When SGA organized a protest against D-I last month, a small fraction of students were there, which I view as yet another instance of apathy.

If it’s cynicism that is driving these young people to a total lack of caring, I view that characteristic in an even more negative light than I do straight apathy. I know it’s easy to fall into that pattern of thinking when college students have so many factors against them: terrible job prospects, a struggling economy, student loan debt and a load of other issues.

I honestly don’t know how effective Higher Ed Day is in igniting any real change in education funding in this state. I think more students are feeling dejected and as if their voices don’t matter on campus, state, national and international issues. It still would have been nice to see more students at least trying to make some kind of difference.

I’m not calling out the students who couldn’t go to Higher Ed Day because of outside job obligations, schoolwork or other personal problems that may have hindered their ability to go. I’m also not a believer that all UNA students are blind to anything that isn’t celebrity gossip, People Magazine, National Inquirer types of news.

There are tons of beautiful, proactive, politically informed, kindhearted, progressive and selfless young people on this campus who do more to better the world than I have ever done. I just hope these individuals will continue to set a good example to the students who choose apathy over activism.