Questions that allude to the world around us are posed more and more by professors here at Quinnipiac. Are you paying attention to the world around you? Do you watch the news?
Most of the time, they get the same answer: not enough.
Take, for example, the conflict happening in Syria. The country that was once fertile plains and high mountains has been enduring a bloody civil war over the past two years, crippling the people who reside there. The nation is at war with itself, as the fighting between government forces and rebels has killed more than 100,000 people.
Or even look at the recent shooting that happened at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. last Monday. Aaron Alexis, who was in the Navy Reserve until 2011, entered the area by using his access card as a contractor. He then proceeded to take the lives of 12 people before killing himself.
And yet we still find people would rather talk about the latest news surrounding Drake’s new album or Miley Cyrus’ latest stunt for attention. It just doesn’t add up.
So why do most students choose to cram their heads with the latest celebrity gossip rather than global affairs in the country they live in? Priorities. They would rather play video games than read a newspaper, or watch MTV rather than the news. It’s a pattern than has been occurring over and over again for years.
The frightening part is that some of the students at Quinnipiac will be entering the real world in less than a year – a world where being able to form and convey a well-thought argument is an invaluable skill. In order to do so, however, you need to do your homework.
The most common defense you get from a college student is that “it doesn’t affect me directly.” It is one that is seemingly programmed into every college academic’s brain.
The truth is that it can, however.
Over the past summer, President Barack Obama signed a bill that lowers interest rates on college loans. Rather than paying 6.8 percent on loans, students will now face only 3.4 percent interest rates. The disturbing thing about this is that most college students weren’t even aware that it occurred.
What might be even more alarming is that it is very easy to pay attention to the news. Find a go-to website and read the headlines, follow news outlets on Twitter, or even do it the old-fashioned way and watch the nightly news on television (crazy concept, isn’t it?). It takes very little time.
The lesson is to pay attention to what is happening on the news. It makes you a more well-rounded person and allows you to carry conversations with professionals in an easier manner. And hey, you might even learn a thing or two.
