As we travel in our lives from freshman year to college to our first jobs to even dates and new relationships, we are often most concentrated on those imperative first impressions. Many are taught from an early age that those first moments are the ones that could make or break them, but as President Barack Obama conveyed in his inaugural speech, it is the lasting impressions of our country, and more importantly ourselves, with which we should be concerned.

This isn’t the first time our great nation’s commander-in-chief has hoped to instigate a service movement. Roosevelt had the Civilian Conservation Corps. Kennedy had the Peace Corps, and now Obama has his Serve America Act.

Obama wants to enact a new service era and America obviously agrees. Within his first 100 days in office he wishes to establish the Serve America Act.

This act will hopefully expand Americorps, the nation’s civilian service force, from 75,000 to 250,000 personnel in the next five years. Along with increasing the service groups already in play he wants to broaden the focus to include boys and girls clubs, free clinics, environmental projects, and disaster sites.

Even if all of these goals never get completely realized, it is evident that our country will be moving in the right direction. Instead of continuing the tried and tired methods of the retiring baby-boomers, taking on too much at one time, a new wave of reforms targeted in local areas to deal with the new and present conditions will take their place.

For example, a nongovernmental group of volunteer teachers, Teach for America, had 37,000 applicants for 5,000 positions this year. Obama reflected on those who serve their country – and not just in a military aspect – in his inaugural address. He said, “They have something to tell us today… because they embody the spirit of service, a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.”

Obama explained that this is a ”new era of responsibility,” and The Oracle agrees. We need to take a stand with something that is really important to us as individuals and make our lives actually count for something.

Our front page and centerspread illustrate an incredible yet tragic situation where a student, though faced with adversity, made a positive lasting impression of his own. Through what Chris Chung’s friends and family say about him, it is clear that his life meant something – not only in the sense that all lives are precious, but also in that it had an especially important impact on everyone around him.

This should be the objective for everyone to make everything matter — even the smallest things. People should not hope to live among the masses of people without making an impression on their environment. Chris’s friend from church, Kristin Kim, explained, “He could make you feel so special through the little things.”

Obama’s approach to reforming our society is to inspire and to be inspiring, much like Chung’s life was to his friends and family. Another senior, Kyle Newman, said, “Before and after cancer, he had one view on life: live life to its fullest.”

We as a whole community need to get past the initial worry of “will they like me?” or “am I good enough?” and on to the questions of “am I a worthwhile citizen?” or “does my life mean something?” The random acts of kindness in which so many Titans participate cannot and should not be overlooked, but the same motivation that goes into performing those once-in-a-while volunteer services should fuel those individuals to make their own lives account for something. Although it is great to donate – and actually crucial that those who can afford to do it do – the real challenge is in living your entire life in this manner.

Oracle Editorial Board Vote – 21 Agreed; 0 Disagreed