Editorial: Class of ’04 can afford to be good citizens

UCLA’s seniors graduate this week, and they will enter a
world that has changed tremendously during their educational
hiatus. As they take on jobs and new challenges, their choices will
shape the course of this nation’s progress. Being mindful of
this responsibility will boost the quality of their contributions
to society.

The diverse goals of UCLA’s graduates will lead them down
radically different paths: Some will rise though the ranks of
corporate America as quickly as possible. Some will settle into a
life that is carefree and satisfying. Others will continue with
their academic exploration or find an adventure in a faraway
land.

Regardless of the course they choose, members of the Class of
2004 should be comfortable using the next few years to explore
their options. Making six-figures right out of college is not a
prerequisite for living a comfortable life. There is time to join
the PeaceCorps and try to save the world for a few years before
“reality” has to set in.

But, as they leave the sheltered world of undergraduate life,
many former romantics will nonetheless let their idealism fade
toward nothingness. Working with the system will suddenly seem much
easier than working against the system.

Still, graduates should not forget how much of an impact ““
good and bad ““ they can have on their communities. And they
should keep in mind that even corporate warriors can be good
citizens.

Unfortunately, there have been plenty of examples of bad
citizenship in the last few years:

“¢bull; President George Bush and his administration led the
United States into the Iraq war without an exit strategy or a clear
purpose.

“¢bull; Enron Corp. defrauded Americans out of millions of
dollars and contributed to the drain of California’s badly
needed reserve funds.

“¢bull; Taco Bell failed students when it neglected to submit a
report to the Associated Students of UCLA on alleged labor
violations in the tomato fields of its suppliers.

“¢bull; Workers at the UCLA Willed Body Program allegedly sold
bodies for a profit and allegedly mistreated the corpses.

“¢bull; Record companies sue young girls and boys because they
shared a few music files on the internet.

“¢bull; Prisoners in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison were
horribly abused and treated as if they were not even human.

Scandals and villainy like these cannot be easily prevented. No
matter how many well intentioned people are out there, the world
will never be perfect. But UCLA’s graduates can do their part
to prevent these things from happening as frequently as they
do.

The Class of 2004 does not need to enter the world thinking they
must conform to the reality they find in place. It is their right
to change that reality and shape it to fit their own vision.
Whether this means fighting corporate corruption, helping homeless
people, teaching in a school, or simply living a satisfying life,
UCLA’s graduates should do what makes them happy and best
serves their community.

If they can save the world along the way, that’s all the
better.