Several years ago, I worked in the Kresicher Sundial. It was the first week of classes and we were having a bit of a problem. It seems that quite a number of students were recycling, but it seems they didn’t have the common sense to distinguish between “glass” and “glass that should be recycled.” Plates, dishes and cups were being thrown into the recycle bin. Now, I’ll admit that perhaps the label on the recycle bin was inadequate as it only said “glass”, but where did these students eat at before, where the dishes were thrown away after one use? One of the employees shook his head at the situation and said, “This just proves, you don’t have to be smart to be educated.”

It stuck with me, that being at college didn’t prove usage of brain cells. In fact, if anything it’s proved itself time and time again.

I find it absolutely amazing that people complain about the luxuries we have on campus. I understand it’s very inconvenient for you that the shuttle service won’t take you home from the bars on Thursday night, but I do not recall seeing where it was required that the Shuttle Service baby-sit you, let alone go off campus, or where it is that the University has to have a shuttle service at all?

Then there’s the complaint about the high cost of tuition, and the bookstore and everything else University related. Prices high or not, a large majority of these complaints are coming from students whose mommies and daddies pay for their school. All these high prices mean they don’t have enough money to go to the bar every night, which is a tragedy that put Romeo and Juliet to shame. If complaints are going to be made about high tuition, the people leading the fight should be those students who work 40 hours a week so that they can afford to take two classes a semester, and maybe graduate in ten years or less.

I am simply amazed that college students have such a difficult time functioning in the world today. Need another example? I got plenty. A few weeks ago The BG News ran an article about the Free Mugs that the Dining Centers were giving away to freshmen.

A large portion of the article dealt with the fact that students were unaware they were available. What the article didn’t mention was that there were two ads in The BG News telling people about the mugs, as well as table tents and flyers in all the dining centers, and if you needed a visual aid, mugs were sitting by most registers. Then the article went on about how people who did receive the mug, didn’t know about the discount on beverages if they used the mug. They didn’t know? If you have one of these mugs, please take it out, and look at it carefully. Do you see where on the mug it tells you about the discount? It’s on the mug!

In theory the college experience is supposed to prepare us for the “real” world. How can someone be prepared for the real world when they aren’t aware of what they hold in their hand?

We’re college students. We’re supposed to be the leaders of tomorrow and yet far too many of us are so wrapped up in our little world we fail to use our common sense when it comes to the world that exists any farther than three feet away. Common sense is supposed to be common. So everyone open your eyes and take a good look around, and if that’s too much work for you, the least you can do is hold your free mug up so it touches the end of your nose.