Allie Schmitt Op/Ed Editor

As a true child of the ’90s, I keep thinking that the last decade of the 20^th century was just a few years ago.  Now that we have started the second decade of the 2000s, I sadly realize that this idea in my head is seriously incorrect.

So much has happened in our generation.  We witnessed a massive terrorist attack, saw our country go to war, then another war; we experienced the demise and rise of Britney Spears, and even elected the first minority president.  We’ve come a long way since Y2K. 

The past decade was a great, interesting, and maybe a little scary, start to the 2000s, but we still have plenty more decades and years to go. This promise of the future is what brings me to the conclusion that we should try to make this next decade the best it can possibly be.

No, I’m not going to wish for unreachable goals for this decade like world peace or the end to hunger, but instead I want to set realistic, challenging resolutions for this year that will carry on throughout the next 10 years. I also want to extend this challenge to you.

Get involved in the political process; vote in the next presidential election.  Attend the Olympic Games and maybe even participate.  Dig deep into the roots of your ancestors, starting with visiting their country of origin.  Survive the end of the world (2012) and make a t-shirt and a Facebook group in memory of your success. 

So, I present the task to challenge yourself to be the best you can be as a citizen of your country, state, city, and community.  Strive for the best grades attainable, put others before yourself, lend a helping hand to a stranger, discover new places, push your boundaries, do something you’d never do, and achieve your wildest dreams.  Don’t settle for the bare minimum; always push for the best and never plateau.

There is much to see and learn from the world and it’s waiting for you to discover it and assign its meaning to you.   Don’t waste the best years of your life just getting by- live them to the fullest.  You don’t want to look back 20 years from now and think ‘man, I wish I had done this or that.’  Instead, in 20 years look back and smile at all the great things you accomplished in this decade and be thankful for what you made of them.