A change of attitude is needed from students, said Student Body President Katie M. Cox in her State of the University address before the Student Senate Wednesday night.

Many students find problems with the university, such as the construction, the lack of diversity, the appearance of the campus, the rising costs and the lack of school pride, Cox said. Many students will leave the university, angry that nothing was ever finished, she said.

However, she said she agreed with a quote from Richard Hooker that said change cannot be made without inconvenience.

“The university cannot stop everything so that for four years you or your classmates can be more comfortable and not have to deal with progress, construction or transition,” Cox said. “You are disgusted that you have to deal with progress … but you would be just as disgusted had the university decided progress was not necessary 50 years ago.”

Students in the past had to deal with inconveniences that made the university better today; the inconveniences current students deal with will improve the university for future students, she said.

“We would have very little on this campus were if not for the students who came before us,” Cox said. “They saw a way to make things better. They did it, and very likely – just as we stand right now – many of them paid for projects that they never saw completed. That is the way the world works.”

She said the state of the university can be seen in how hard some people are trying to get things done and what others are doing to slow it down. The university tries to move forward and change, but people hold it back with their negative attitudes.

However, while the students sit around and complain, the university will continue to move forward. Sometimes projects take longer than expected; sometimes contracts and unions get in the way, but that is all part of the system, she said.

“Things move slowly, but constantly,” Cox said. “Gradual and incremental change is what we have to work with.”

Cox said she believes the university is the best in the state because it is the most affordable, it provides excellent instruction, the classes are small and the campus is beautiful.

Cox said she can ignore the construction and the fences many people complain about when she thinks of the university.

“Have you ever stood in the union walkway facing south and just looked out at the campus on a sunny afternoon?” Cox asked. “Don’t look at specific people. Don’t focus on the trailer parked in front of the library behind the fences.

“Look at the picture as a whole … students walking and laughing, groups playing Frisbee on the quad, the trees swaying in the afternoon breeze, up-and-coming artists carefully studying the structure of buildings and their shadows, professors waving as they see familiar faces. Sometimes you can even hear the drumline or the orchestra practicing. I find that beautiful.”

The university will not change and grow to its capacity if students’ attitudes do not change, Cox said.

“Next time you complain about things never getting done or problems being fixed – just keep on telling yourself that it’s someone else’s responsibility. Keep on telling yourself that others should take care of it. Keep on telling yourself that it’s someone else’s fault that you’re unhappy,” Cox said. “And the state of the university will remain what it is today – a state of unbelievable opportunity and possibly, of imminent progress, hindered only by its own community’s cynicism and unwillingness to take responsibility.”

Cox encouraged students to boldly take action and say what they believe. She said there will be criticisms, failures and losses, but students need to accept that and keep moving.