Spring Break
Don't confuse apathy with not knowing
John Jose, Columnist, jjose@smu.edu
Issue date: 2/27/07 Section: Opinion
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After writing these articles for a bit more than a semester now, I'm happy to say that almost every week I have someone approach me with comments on that week's subject. I've had everybody from students from the EU zone comment on my views on the EU constitution to members of presidential think tanks giving their response to my opinion on the Bush Library debate.
This is encouraging, but for every student that approaches me with comments, at least three say that they enjoyed reading the article but had no idea what I was talking about.
I'm not insinuating that people are unintelligent (in fact, I'm not the best student when it comes to academics); I'm merely saying that people don't have a requisite working knowledge of the issues that are shaping our time.
Do not mistake my intentions for a moment. I am not writing to harp on the "shameful apathy" of college students, this "decidedly uncaring" generation. It is not apathy, for apathy connotes a decision having been made to not care about an issue. To make that decision one must have been exposed to the affair and rejected any involvement with it.
To be sure, there are many who simply don't prioritize these issues; they think that the trends are important but not entirely interesting. This is fine. I know that my interest in these affairs is fairly nerdy and, as some of my friends have told me, somewhat weird. But the truth still remains: Many college students are unaware of global trends and discussions that will shape our world.
The importance of this cannot be understated. In everything I have read, seen, heard and experienced, I have come to the conclusion that we are at a tipping point, and momentum is already carrying us forward.
The increasing liquidity of global capital and access to previously untapped labor forces hold unimaginable benefits for the global population, chief among them respite from poverty. Poverty is one of the most fundamental global problems that needs to be addressed.
This is encouraging, but for every student that approaches me with comments, at least three say that they enjoyed reading the article but had no idea what I was talking about.
I'm not insinuating that people are unintelligent (in fact, I'm not the best student when it comes to academics); I'm merely saying that people don't have a requisite working knowledge of the issues that are shaping our time.
Do not mistake my intentions for a moment. I am not writing to harp on the "shameful apathy" of college students, this "decidedly uncaring" generation. It is not apathy, for apathy connotes a decision having been made to not care about an issue. To make that decision one must have been exposed to the affair and rejected any involvement with it.
To be sure, there are many who simply don't prioritize these issues; they think that the trends are important but not entirely interesting. This is fine. I know that my interest in these affairs is fairly nerdy and, as some of my friends have told me, somewhat weird. But the truth still remains: Many college students are unaware of global trends and discussions that will shape our world.
The importance of this cannot be understated. In everything I have read, seen, heard and experienced, I have come to the conclusion that we are at a tipping point, and momentum is already carrying us forward.
The increasing liquidity of global capital and access to previously untapped labor forces hold unimaginable benefits for the global population, chief among them respite from poverty. Poverty is one of the most fundamental global problems that needs to be addressed.
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