Kids, explore the world

For the class of 2017, these are challenging times. Earlier generations faced the possibilities of the military draft and the impending fear of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. While global tensions are on the rise, most young citizens are not worried about being sent into combat. Civil defense drills—a ubiquitous part of 1960s America—are a thing of the past.

Employment possibilities are greater now than they were during the throes of the Great Recession.

So things are good? Yes. But things should be better. And they get that way only when a new generation picks up the torch from the previous one. If that previous one hasn’t carried it that far or high, then it is so much harder for the next generation to respond to the call of civic duty.

Graduates often see the immediate future— getting jobs, moving out on their own, maybe starting families. This is all part of growing into adulthood. But class of 2017, you need to see the importance of growing into citizenship—now more than ever. Now, when older Americans are consumed with labels of left, right, conservative and liberal. When news is “fake” and “spin” is real. When too many complain about their government—local, state and federal—and do not bother to vote. To engage. To debate. To challenge what does not seem right, to celebrate what truly is and to strive to make life better for all people.

Too many of the commencement pictures that travel the Internet and across social media platforms show young men and women looking down at smart phones or taking selfies. There is a time to take pictures, but there also is a time to be present in the moment.

So we tell the class of 2017, put down the phone and stop with the selfies and focus on community engagement. Embrace your friends now, because they are precious and youth is fleeting. But embrace the experiences ahead. Reach out to people who do not look like you, think like you or talk like you, because that is where the adventures are hidden.