In the final few weeks of this semester, I fell into a trap many students are guilty of: I thought my stress and responsibilities were of monumental status, and none other could compare to the hectic and harried lifestyle I was forced to endure.

Oh, woe was me, with five finals looming in the horizon and five more editions of the Daily yet to be published, three papers needed written and about 15 people on my Christmas list to buy things for, yes I truly was wallowing in self pity.

However, last Monday morning, between whining about professors who have papers due on Monday of dead week and complaining about how few newsworthy events were taking place, I had a wake up call that put a temporary end to my bitching and made me realize how easy I have it at Iowa State.

My phone rang, as it does every few minutes at the Daily, and I answered it expecting to hear from a reporter who was unable to write a story or from someone saying they had been misquoted in an article.

Instead I heard from Nenad, a chemistry professor who moved to Ames from Belgrade, Serbia. Nenad informed me of a situation taking place across Serbia in cities and at universities that had been going on for nearly three weeks that embarrassed me when I compared it to my own life and country.

Nenad, a group of doctoral students from Serbia and I got together on Tuesday to discuss the current issue in Serbia.

I learned hundreds of thousands of students had been marching in the streets for more than three weeks to protest a government which they believed had stolen their November local elections.

Can you imagine it? We’re talking 200,000 to 300,000 students, in cold, rainy weather marching from early morning until the wee hours of night to demonstrate against their government by carrying candles to symbolize the death of justice. And they’re doing it in a way that has made the world sit up and take notice of them, to send them encouragement and promise them support.

The students in Serbia symbolize what can be done when people are willing to believe in a cause and stand by it until the bitter end.

No doubt as you and I are rushing to our 7:30 a.m. final on Wednesday or relaxing with a mug of mocha after studying for five hours in the library, students in Serbia, who have put their educations temporarily on hold, will be fighting for what they believe and demand they be listened to. The entire world will watch to see if these students succeed. Whether they win or go down fighting, the students in Serbia will always have my respect and admiration.

Next semester when we all return, rested and ready to go, I hope a few more students on our campus will have the heart and determination to let their voices be known. If students in Serbia can march 50 miles in one day to rally together, can’t we at least support each other and change those decisions in which we don’t believe in?