All too frequently, our generation has been criticized as apathetic, unproductive and just generally lazy.

Now is our time to step up and destroy that perception. We have an opportunity to institute a real change in the world, to shine a light where there was once darkness, to silence the critics.

An election is our opportunity for this generation’s recovery. All we have to do is make the choice no one else can.

Not between a maverick and a messiah, mind you. That little election in November pales in comparison to the Kick the Chant Campaign.

The environment? I’m going to be around for another 80 years, tops. All those icebergs have to last at least that long, don’t they?

The economy? As long as my check from The Underground clears, I’ll be OK.

Joe the Plumber? If I hear any more about him, I may rip my own fucking head off.

The truth is that the decision as to what the new kickoff chant will be is the most important one you will ever make. It dwarfs such trivial matters as who will lead the free world for the next four years.

So, let’s meet the candidates.

First up is “Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU!” Truly, this is a candidate for the right-leaning traditionalists out there. Although this chant is strong with the base, it remains to be seen whether this candidate can bridge party lines and appeal to the more progressive Jayhawks.

If that choice seems just two letters too long, then “Rock Chalk Jayhawk!” should to be your selection.

Still, there are those who think the University should look elsewhere for solutions. Multilateralists might favor the Notre Dame-inspired “Go... Jayhawks!” Although this appeal to one of college football’s superpowers may seem like a valid means of solidifying Kansas’ place on the national scene, some say that such a decision is just too derivative.

The next choice, “Make ‘em Weep!” stands as a testimony to KU’s fight song. Unfortunately, sensitive parents are already lining up to criticize the student body for this potentially traumatic choice. Still, this candidate has a lot of experience, making it a strong contender.

“Right Between the Eyes!” is a suggestion inspired by Kansas alumnus Kevin Harlan that could face similar problems. For a member of the KU coverage team to actually carry out the spoken intent of this chant, they’d have to break several NCAA rules. It’s also likely that reaching inside an opponent’s face mask could result in a substantial rise in broken fingers on the team. Some have also noted that, by no fault of his own, Harlan sounding vaguely like sportscaster Marv Albert could give an entirely new (and woefully disturbing) twist to this chant’s meaning.

Don’t like any of these choices? There’s a second poll with suggestions from students. Online voting ends at 5 p.m. today.

That provides yet another reason why this vote is better than the one to decide the president. People complain about the lack of a legitimate third party in the United States political system, but no such biases appear here. There are already five choices, not to mention the other six suggested by students. Ron Paul kids, crusty Ralph Nader devotees, here is your chance to vote for a fifth-party candidate. Just think how cool and counterculture that will make you feel.

And no matter which selection you make, you will be voting to replace a controversial incumbent that is hated at home and abroad and is primarily supported by a vocal (and frequently drunk) demographic. Hm, that’s nothing like this presidential election.

Our generation has been given a bad name. It’s time to change that perception and show everyone that we’re not just crazy kids with backward hats and hippity-hop music.

The so-called Greatest Generation had to face the Great Depression and a world war. Until now, our generation had no comparable challenges to face down.

No longer.

The challenge of our age has appeared, and we must defeat it. Apathy is no longer an option — not when the reputation of our saintly University athletics program is on the line.

It’s time to get angry and get active. After all, who needs “change you can believe in” when we’ve got change you can sarcastically belittle?