Touring the kids with the cardinal and gold – a story on “selling” potential students on ISU.

“Changes in door policy?” – a story on the proposed changes in one of the grossest First Amendment violations at ISU.

“New name for stadium edging closer to reality” – a story on renaming Cyclone Stadium that, while positive, has certainly taken much too long to honor a heroic African American.

“Hunt is on for suspects in Friday’s ‘racial beating'” – a story on the search for the eight males who brutally beat a black student security officer.

“GSB adds cash to assault reward” – a story on how ISU’s student government contributes to the hunt for Deantrious Mitchell’s assailants.

And finally…

“We’re tired, and we’re tired of being tired” – a story on the difficulties and frustrations minority students feel while at ISU.

Gee, wonder what makes them feel that way?

All of these stories were front page features from yesterday’s issue of the Daily.

This front page phenomena is a sad reflection of what life at Iowa State is like.

We all like to think it’s parties, and fun football games. Getting involved and student activities, making new friends, getting ready for that great job, seeing concerts.

And those things do happen. There are lots of positive aspects to attending Iowa State.

But as yesterday’s front page sadly and most emphatically indicates, it ain’t all roses and daisies here either.

And you know what?

The cause of this tension, this discombobulation that is so readily apparent to all, is all of our faults.

Everybody. You. Them. We. Us. Everybody.

Many have expressed a desire to see the pain and conflict emanating from this campus end. We all long for a more productive, relaxed environment to spend what is supposed to be “the best years of our lives.”

But what are we really doing about it?

There will always be extreme activism, those who, while passionate, rarely represent the views of the majority, who attempt to affect change.

So why aren’t things changing?

It’s not the fault of these extreme activists. It’s the fault of the passive majority.

A majority that is willing to sit back and shrug its shoulders when fellow students cry out about how terrible the conditions of living at ISU are.

A majority that lets others get directly involved because “it’s not their business.”

We are all to blame for a tense climate that we as a community, as a whole, have fostered.

And quite frankly, we should be tired of it.

We need to start addressing directly the needs and concerns of the Iowa State community, because it’s obvious to anyone who picks up a newspaper that something is amiss here.

We’re not the best land grant institution.

We’re not committed to diversity.

We’re not fostering a nurturing, positive, educational environment for all people.

We’re just not.

If you have any doubts about that fact, ask Kyle Pierce. Ask Deantrious Mitchell. Ask Tracy Call. Ask Reis Pearson.

Ask just about anybody.

It’s time for a change. A big one. Because we can’t continue like this.

It must end. And it must end now. Let’s every one of us do our parts to make it so.