I go to a large state university and one of my favorite things about it is living in a college town. Every day is interesting considering I reside in a place that is essentially run by children. I just experienced my first Halloween here, or rather a four-day continuation of what is no doubt this nation’s strangest holiday. From seeing people dressed like Harley Quinn recklessly drive golf carts to being chased down the street by a kid in an inflatable tyrannosaurus rex costume, I would say that it was an eventful “Halloweekend.”
At this point, I am so used to living in an environment that prompts my roommate and I to have a daily exchange of “so what weird thing did you see today?” that I sometimes forget there is life outside of college. It’s actually refreshing to see families here on game days because it serves as a nice reminder that it is possible to be functioning members of society. It is so easy to lose touch with what is going on in the rest of the world. I’m not talking about the latest slanders from the current presidential election or Kim Kardashian getting robbed, but staying up to date on actual news and current events.
In high school, I would watch the news almost every day, whether it was with a bowl of cereal before I left for school or listen as it ran in the background while I was doing homework. Now, sometimes the only news I read is on the Snapchat discover page. This is odd considering I go to one of the nation’s most reputable journalism schools. This is not to say that everyone in college is uninformed-- my Facebook feed is full of meaningful and substantial shared articles. A big thank you to everyone keeping me in the loop. But, for people who think of us as a progressive and impactful generation we tend to be pretty content with being oblivious. We are one of the first generations to grow up with endless amounts of information at our fingertips. One would assume that the age of the smartphone would pave the way to a well-informed youth. Also, no more “I just don’t have time for the news.” You do not have to watch the full nightly news to be informed. It can be as simple as making a habit of reading one article every day. Find a favorite news outlet, they even come in app form! One of the best things a friend has ever done for me was to regularly send me New York Times articles and actually make me read them.
While living in a college town is lively and exciting, we can’t forget to look outside of our bubble. Although it may not seem like it, our votes, voices, and actions all matter and they should all be informed because, like it or not, ignorance is not bliss.
