Since the beginning of the semester, The University of Alabama has received a gross amount of media attention concerning voter fraud allegations, sorority integration and the football team’s relentless pursuit of the legendary three-peat, among other things.

The attention has left us bloody and bruised, yet we stand unbowed and resolute. This is The University of Alabama where we choose to conquer the challenges that face us because they are difficult, because they measure the best of our talents and skills, because they ultimately guarantee a future built on a true tradition of excellence.

So, what are these challenges? It is the tearing down of de facto walls between different groups of students on campus and being genuinely kind to fellow students no matter their background. It is encouraging students to pursue academic excellence in every subject, whether through active classroom participation, academic research or relationships with faculty. It is the fostering of individual and civic responsibility by promoting – not mandating – that students give back to the community that provides us with so much.

Many of you are certainly thinking that these challenges are insurmountable. To that, I implore you to remember the challenges the University has conquered and how far we have come. On April 4, 1865, Union troops burned down the entirety of campus except for four primary buildings: the President’s Mansion, the Gorgas House, the Little Round House and the Old Observatory. We rebuilt.

In 1956, Autherine Lucy was the first black student admitted to the University and was expelled three days into classes due to the inability of the school to provide a safe environment. In 1963, Vivian Malone and James Hood registered for classes and opened the schoolhouse doors for minorities. This semester, we witnessed how the combined efforts of students, faculty, alumni and administrators opened the doors for all females to join sororities. What few doors on campus that are still closed will open soon.

Lastly, on April 27, 2011, an EF4 tornado destroyed 12 percent of Tuscaloosa’s infrastructure and took the lives of six students living in off-campus housing. Since then, the city of Tuscaloosa has rebuilt itself through capital investments on infrastructure and numerous property developments. Mayor Walt Maddox saw the immense challenge Tuscaloosa faced after the tornado and has wisely led the city to better, new heights. Since Tuscaloosa is better, the University is better, too.

Now then, what challenges can the University not handle? We all have the immense privilege to be educated at school here, but that also means we carry the burden of having to confront the challenges facing this school and ourselves. I want you to ask yourself the most important question of all as a student: What challenges will you confront today? Because there will come a day when the combined efforts of students tear down the de facto walls between us, when students become citizens of Tuscaloosa and not just the University, and when students achieve excellence in unimaginable ways. I hope that day is coming, but I am quick to ask myself, “What challenges have I confronted today?”

Patrick Crowley is a sophomore majoring in economics and finance. His column runs biweekly on Mondays.