Last week, I was discussing about certain matters with a very vibrant friend of mine. Although we do abide to different beliefs – him being Christian, me being Muslim – nevertheless, it seemed we shared common ground about university students’ weak grasp of their surroundings.
I recall him expressing his disappointment towards the average Malaysian graduate.
I don’t know about you, but I see that graduates usually leave campus life as people who are gullible and do not have a stand of their own.
These graduates are not a katak bawah tempurung, but worse; like a frog under a glass – they think they know what’s going on around them, nevertheless they don’t realize they’re being samely manipulated.
…quite an odd analogy, I would say, but after much thought, I had to admit…this friend of mine does have his point.
It is real obvious lately that campus students mostly deprive themselves with the ‘Whybother approach’ (thanks farril 
). Students couldn’t care less about what is going on beyond a mile from them, unless there is a movie cinema 2 miles away.
For example, early this year the world was erupted by the unfortunate fate of Gaza. A moderate percentage of students took the effort of showing some care and read about what was going over in Gaza, for they actually believed that the whole Palestinian Holocaust is downright wrong. A small percentage of students even expressed their grief through their personal blogs (read: What could occur in Gaza within 10 minutes ).
What happened to the 50% rest of the university students (my own statistics based on observation)?? … nope, don’t have a firm stand. They couldn’t care less. Some just mentioned ‘Gaza’ at their lips as a passing joke. Real sad if you ask me. Lack of sensitivity.
Now, what happens to these kinds of students once they have trained their heads to not be sensitive towards anything but their next test paper?
… they become gullible working people who easily ‘go with the flow’ – meaning that they easily enjoin the majority without any basis of enjoining them in the first place. The only reason they want to be a part of this majority is because, well.. it’s the majority. It seems easy. Well, graduates… majority or no majority, a firm stand comes with firm principles. So develop your principles as firm as possible while still on campus for its on campus where you are opened to various world perspectives. Be a graduate with a strong stand so won’t easily be fooled!
Campus Culture as a Catalyst in Developing Graduates with Firm Identity
I truly believe that campus culture plays a large role in developing graduates with a firm identity: firm stand with firm principles…!
So, what to do???….
REJUVENATE CAMPUS CULTURE! –> rejuvenate = UPLIFT
…Campus students need to feel the importance of being self-informed of what is happening beyond their forehead. How do you get students to do this?.. well, the mood of ‘Curiousity brings prosperity’, instead of ‘Curiousity kills the cat’ (why does that suddenly sound weird) needs to somehow be of existence on campus.
Walking around on campus should give that magical effect. To the extent that, masuk je pagar kampus, terasa nak baca paper!…haha :-p (well, something like that)
Bring a new campus image through Induction Week
The Induction Week for new students at any university is basically a ‘first impression’ of the campus for new students. One batch of students might hold a different perspective of the university then its former, based on the impact of their induction week.
Hence, this should be seen as an opportunity in REJUVENATING the campus culture within this week.
Just to share, I took part in my campus’s induction week as among the orientation committee. It amazed me how certainly opened and easily influenced these new students were. Well, mostly only those from matriculation colleges and STPM holders, because it was their first time stepping into a university. Now, don’t get me wrong…’easily influenced’ meaning they easily depend on any senior campus.
From this observation, I feel that rejuvenation of any campus culture could be started during this first week. The attitude of the importance of being a KNOWLEDGE-THIRSTY student could be inculcated upon these students. …let’s effort towards it in the future…!
Information here and there!
My friend I mentioned above suggested we gather all the potential writers on campus and start on a new culture of arising curiousity through reading of critical writings. A really great idea…! Quite exciting if you ask me. Goodness, wouldn’t it be awesome to bring change to a campus???… Let’s! 
~*`*~ Subtle_Fortitude~*`*~
Ehem: ok, i planned on only talking about my experience being an orientation committee… however it ended up averting to sumthing else… aiya
haha
