One to two minutes isn’t nearly enough time to explain why Southern’s international mission is important.

But for the majority of us who defended it last Friday that’s all we had. I have written multiple papers, columns and general reports about the subject. However, none were as important as the 30-second speech I gave in front of the crowd gathered in Cornell Auditorium.

Now I’m not saying it was the best speech or the most informative, but it was the only time I had University President Bruce Speck in the audience. If I had any regrets it is that I didn’t say enough.

Time and time again I’ve seen students who have studied abroad and returned as completely different people. Better people: more educated, more worldly, more patient, more focused, more understanding and more motivated.

Of course the honors students and those whose majors require it will find a way to travel abroad.

But for those of us – the average students driving 10-year-old vehicles, attending Southern because it’s cheap and close to home, living off campus, working part-time jobs, and who are only here because we receive financial aid­ – our hopes of traveling abroad may be disappearing into the sunset.

But for what?

So we can have a new building and spend more on athletics. I’ve been to other college campuses. I’ve attended sporting events at other universities. And you know what? They’re all the same: big buildings, screaming fans and too much money spent on them. But what those other universities don’t have is an international mission. They don’t focus on submerging students into other cultures or on re-framing their students’ mind sets to realize there is world of people out there with different views. They don’t prepare students for the global market where workers are expected to work side-by-side with people from all over the world.

We should value and honor what sets Southern above the rest. Not make foolish cuts to the department that is the deciding factor for many of the students who apply here.

If you’re reading this and have an opinion on the subject let them be heard. E-mail Speck at [email protected]. If the students don’t speak up and show interest in the program nothing will be done to save it.