I am sure you've got great ideas about Marquette; in fact, I know it. We all do. We care about our school and its future, and we want to see it become better and brighter. At the very least, we live here, so we know what is working and what is not.

And now is your chance to share your ideas. Whether it's a big-picture dream or a burr under your saddle, Nov. 5 is your opportunity to be the difference at Marquette.

That Saturday afternoon, the Manresa Project is hosting a student summit: Create Change at Marquette. The purpose says it all: If you could improve one thing about the Marquette campus community, what would it be?

Here is your chance. They are ready to listen. Now is the time to share your great ideas.

So go to a computer right now, log onto http://www.marquette.edu/osd/leadership/summit_2005.html, and register.

Because one Saturday afternoon is going to change our world.

Let me share two quick pieces of advice so your great idea has its greatest impact.

First, think about it beforehand. Talk it over with your friends. Ask the people in your classes or clubs what they would change about Marquette. Let ideas bounce around for a week. And then write out a few notes out on an index card and bring it with you so you won't forget.

Here is what might be on my note card. It would be great if we had an apartment renters version of Dog Ears. We could tell the world if the maintenance guy takes forever to fix things, or if the commons area desperately needs new carpeting. If a landlord sees 10 comments telling prospective customers that maintenance is slow, he will work fast to fix things and get the negative comments to stop. That may seem pretty simple, but it could make things a lot better.

So come with your great idea, but also come with an open mind. Because other people there are going to have lots of great ideas too. And we need to be open to them. The entire point of the day is to challenge the status quo, and sometimes that makes us uncomfortable, even defensive. So we all have to come with the right perspective, that this is a day for dreamers and visionaries.

And we are all dreamers and visionaries. It is inherent in our human nature to dream. And in a few weeks, we all share our dreams. And I bet when we put them all together, your good ideas and mine and everyone else's, together we'll make Marquette great.

This viewpoint was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 27, 2005.