By: Ben Leschensky
College students are busy. Between classes, studies, extracurricular activities and social events, our time is very limited. Still, it is important for all students to make time for being well informed on what’s happening in the world today.
While we may not have much wiggle room in our schedules, we should all make time for staying caught up on the news, both local and national. Whether this means watching newscast on TV, reading the newspaper, or catching up with online news sources, it is of the utmost importance that students stay informed on what is happening outside the PLU bubble.
The Brett Kavanaugh nomination for the United States Supreme Court dominated headlines for the past couple of weeks. However, there are students on campus that haven’t heard anything about his nomination and the controversy surrounding it. When I asked students about whether or not they had been following the hearings, some responded by asking “what hearings” and “who is Kavanaugh?”
This is unacceptable for college students today. As future members of society, we have a responsibility to stay informed on what is happening in our country. The Kavanaugh confirmation will not only affect our lifetimes, but also the lives of our children.
In my opinion, students can easily find time in their schedules to read the news. They just have to make the conscious choice to do so. In an age driven by social media and time-consuming apps, we are easily drawn to scrolling through our various feeds or looking at memes. If we read the news during this time, however, we’ll be more aware of issues facing our country.
I’m not advocating for 24/7 news exposure during our free time; balance is important. But I do believe that we need to start pulling our weight and staying caught up on important issues. We attend a liberal arts school to become well-rounded citizens, but if we’re uninformed, what’s the point?
So, the next time you open your phone, consider reading the news instead of social media. Memes can take the back burner this time.
