A new organization on campus is moving for a positive change in the right way. 

MOVE ISU — described on its website as “a movement of students on [a] mission to move people to things that matter” — is similar to Ted Talks and hopes to start productive conversations.  

The club is moving to do what the ISD Editorial Board hopes to do, which is inspire and motivate, to start conversations to create positive change in the ISU community. 

MOVE, directed and founded by Jean Carlos Diaz-Ramos is hosted every Monday night at 8 p.m. Students gather free of charge under the iconic Campanile to listen to the 20-minute speech to hear what really matters and more importantly learn how to put real change into motion. Topics include, according to MOVE ISU’s website: “helping students be successful in every area of their life: personally, professionally, practically, emotionally, mentally, socially, academically, spiritually, holistically and comprehensively.”

All too often, students notice issues on campus, and around the state and country, but take to a 140-character moment or a quick post to express their concerns. Social media has developed into a sponge of sorts to absorb the grievances of students, but that’s oftentimes where the conversation ends. 

The genius behind MOVE is that it is real, honest talk about real-world or campus issues led by students. Not by people up on Capitol Hill who spend more time arguing, it seems, than transparently accomplishing anything.

Diaz-Ramos himself pointed out in an interview for the Daily that he strongly feels students hold the key to real societal changes.

“I’m just a man,” he said. “I maybe had the balls to start it, but I’m not going to be the one who picks the next president. We are.”

This is true. The idea just seems to fall by the wayside because of all the other things we constantly have to juggle while in college. 

Students need to remember that they aren’t going to be students forever. There will come a time that we have to leave Ames and enter the real world, and the worldly truths will hit us like a ton of bricks. But the time that comes is not the time to finally start caring about the issues. That isn’t the time to start talking about how to improve our community. The time is now.

And one of the quickest, most convenient and interactive ways to do so is by attending a MOVE night, taking what you learn and applying it to your daily life. 

The gatherings may be brief, but the outcome could be huge. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from or what you believe as an attendee. Because, as Diaz-Ramos put it, “We are humans … we intricately matter.”