Students have a reputation for being apathetic.

They don’t care about school, they don’t care about politics, and they often don’t care about other people’s misfortunes.

But students at Iowa State are proving the latter stereotype false by coming together to help people in need, both locally and internationally.

Many ISU students from Taiwan were affected by the 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Taipei last Tuesday.

More than 1,700 people were killed and thousands were injured, leaving those students with relatives in Taiwan worried and some looking for help to repair any damage.

In conjunction with the Story County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Taiwanese Student Association is collecting donations for the earthquake relief effort.

“There are many different ways to help those people, either through TSA or the Red Cross,” Ted Chu, senior in aerospace engineering, told the Daily. “More donations to help the injured are important.”

While this crisis had a direct effect on several students, other students at ISU are taking the initiative to help one person affected by a local tragedy.

The death of Ames residents Michelle Newton and Roosevelt Stewart in an apartment fire on Sept. 12 left a 5-year-old girl parentless.

Their daughter Alexandra was staying with relatives that night, a coincidence that may have saved her life but turned her future bleak and left her with no one to support her emotionally or monetarily.

Two ISU students felt enough compassion for Alexandra that they decided to set up a trust fund at First National Bank, 2330 Lincoln Way, in order to save money for her college education.

“I hope they feel good about themselves and know that they really stepped up and helped out,” said Jessica Kyecker, co-executive of the fund, of the numerous residence hall floors that have contributed by donating pop cans and money.

While local and national statistics show college students are not holding up to civic duties such as voting, the actions of these ISU students show some still feel obligation to their moral duties.

Those students who don’t care about school, politics or other people’s misfortunes should take a cue from their schoolmates who so selflessly contribute their time and energy to making a stranger’s life better.