I don't want to be the one to break this to you, but there has long been an unchecked menace in our society: student apathy.
In our day-to-day routines, we are all so busy that most of us do not genuinely care about the activities of outsiders (unless they're in our individual family on "Mafia Wars"). We might lie and say we care to impress a pretty girl or a cute boy, but how many of us can actually say that we're involved in our community? Did anyone raise their hand?
I suspect a lot of avid fans have stopped reading this column by now because it sounds like every other generic message to be more active, and to those I say, "Good riddance." I like a narrower audience anyway.
Back to the lecture at hand. From a young writer's perspective, the powers that be do not want us to be involved in society. We are bred to be cogs in the wheel. Most of us, including myself, don't like the added pressure of worrying about other people. That's just the way we are. But these days, we all need help.
I imagine everyone knows that we're in a recession, but how much does it really affect us as college students? Either our parents pay for our tuition or we blindly take out student loans to pay for it.
However, based on the data listed in House Bill H.R. 5, which proposes ways to make college more affordable, tuition for public universities has increased by 41 percent after inflation in the last decade. Furthermore, student loan interest rates have risen 2 percentage points in the last five years.
It all adds up, and we're the ones who are paying for it (if we can even afford to). Those who can't will be subject to a harder road, joining an ever increasing pool of workers with limited education, in turn affecting the strength of America's economy.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the inflation rate in our country has actually leveled off. But do you think that has stopped administrators from increasing tuition? Of course not: Another average 4 percent increase is slated to take effect next year.
This is a prime example of the issues we ought to be thinking about. We should worry more about why things are so expensive and less about how we are going to happily pay for them. Is a new fitness building or student center going to increase our quality of education? Probably not.
This all comes on the heels of a $15.2 million cut to Ball State University's education budget from the state. Gov. Mitch Daniels even visited campus to explain the cuts and answer questions from those in attendance. How many of you went to that meeting? Did anyone raise their hand?
While the meeting was not well attended, Daniels was apparently pleased with the caliber of questions asked. He was probably also pleased that no one rioted like they did at the University of California Berkeley. While those students were protesting a much higher increase in tuition and the construction of a new administration building, their troubles are similar to students throughout the country.
Now, I'm not trying to incite a riot here, but what happened to that spirited camaraderie that America's youth used to embody? College campuses used to be hotbeds for social and political activity, but the most spirited activity I've seen on this campus was when the L.A. Pittenger Student Center got a Taco Bell.
So what can we do to make a difference? The answer is not always easy, but we must first educate ourselves on these issues. Also, there are a number of student affiliations that regularly seek energetic new members, such as Campus Council, University Senate and Student Government Association.
If you're interested, why not take a look into these organizations? You may find that through caring more about your own life, you can simultaneously improve the lives of others. Then we can stop using the excuse, "That's just the way we are."
After all my babbling you might be wondering, "Hey, Kevin. What have you done to effect any real change on campus?"
Well, I wrote this article, and if it's convinced just one person to become more active in campus events, then good for me. Besides that? I've done nothing. Frankly, confrontation frightens me. But that's just the way I am.
Write to Kevin at kltodd@bsu.edu.
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