Letter to the Editor

Coming alongside the start of a new semester is a whole new line-up of prestigious academic minds visiting our campus to share with us some of their knowledge.

 If this sounds exciting to you, then I think you are probably a part of a dwindling minority.

More likely than not, the prospect of attending more guest lectures gives you a foreboding feeling in your stomach (and maybe even a moan escapes your lips).

Who really wants to attend those presentations anyway? You have to pay attention, take notes, analyze what they are saying, defend your opinion, and learn something in the process.

That is work.

You are not in a class; at most you will get a few extra points on an assignment. There are tons of other things you could be doing, like playing xbox or enjoying a tasty beverage.

With everything else there is to enjoy in life, who really wants to learn anything as a college student?

Well, believe it or not, this institution was founded so that Americans could fulfill their desire to learn and become more competitive with other nations.

That's right, they loved to learn – and not just that, they wanted to become the smartest and brightest that the world had to offer.

So when an academic speaker visited to share his or her knowledge, it was exciting and enjoyable.

Not only did they want to participate in additional lectures, but students also went to their classes and eagerly participated in thought-provoking discussion and debate. They willfully visited the library to gather resources and share their thoughts with the group.

Learning meant something to them.

Don't get me wrong – I am sure they did not jump up and down with glee about assignments and long projects.

However, I am pretty confident the idea didn't sicken them or make them feel like they were wasting their time. That is the reason they were here, after all, to learn and grow through their studies. What happened to that?

Why are college students who enjoy learning the minority?

It could be any number of things and I'm sure sociologists and historians will probably study for years before making any decisive theories.

Maybe it is just the rush to gain a degree and get out in your career. Maybe it is because there are tons of other distractions that we have now compared to then, i.e., facebook.

Or maybe it is because we simply don't care. Maybe the Vietnam era changed everything in a decade, or we have been slowly shifting away for years.

Have you ever even asked yourself? Why do I not enjoy these lectures? Why is class such a burden and so bothersome? Is whatever else I have to do really so much more important than my education?

Because if you do not want to learn, then you should re-evaluate just why you are even attending a university.