The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Take advantage of what we're offered

We live in a world where the truth is an enigma engulfed in a shroud whose faint words spell "no trespassing." Words that float along the path of discourse are usually taken for face value. It's very poignant how what we hear becomes what we believe. People's lethargy for intellectualism will eventually lead to the achievement gap becoming larger and will put an eventual wedge between those who lead us and those who will be doomed to follow.

All because of what we don't know.

One must ask the question, what do we know? We hear, see and feel a lot of what goes on out there in the world. Some of us watch the news, some of us read the newspapers and all of us listen to rumors. We hear what we want to hear and pass it on to our fellow brother and sister, and as a result, we progress or regress. We grow or contract. We get bigger or smaller as a people, all because of what we know or don't know.

Here at school, we get by. We don't take advantage of what is offered to us. We take advantage of what we need, and what we need is usually what we need at the last minute. Tutoring is most utilized before exams. We frequently visit professors only before tests - or after. We're lazy.

How many times have you told yourself this was the semester you were going to break out, express your dexterity as a student, and show to those around you you're college material? Now, four semesters later, you can't push yourself over that 3.0 hump.

With the retention rate low, especially for black students, and student scholars and leaders being hard to find, we as students must learn to separate blame from responsibility and step up onto the plate of what it really means to be a responsible student.

With learning comes knowledge. With knowledge comes the ability to understand our surroundings and make confident judgments as responsible students and citizens.

As a citizen, I believe I have responsibilities that are unrivaled and unquestioned. One is to follow the law, unless the law is unjust. Another is to question without reluctance my political leadership, local and federal, which includes the leadership at this University. An additional responsibility is that of taking full advantage of what the government has to offer me as a citizen. This University is a full example of taking advantage of what those opportunities may be. I also believe wholeheartedly that Americans cannot be true citizens if they let ignorance blind them.

Ignorance is a noose that chokes us every time we wish to express a thought about something we don't know. The funny thing is, you can untie this noose by simply becoming more active instead of just going through the motions. To simplify, pay attention in lecture, in general curriculum courses and to the world around you. Don't become a victim in one of the sub-environments on campus that just pledge themselves to getting by and graduating. To become a more active participant on campus really pays off in the end. You don't have to cram as much for finals. You're not as stressed because of what you don't know.

Think about all those students -our peers - who graduate with honors, who are involved, who represent us when we need to be represented and who have our best interests in mind. Think about how few of them there are, and how many of us there are. Think about how blessed we are to be in school and take advantage at what we have to offer ourselves. One Love.

George is a junior in political science and journalism. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the DAILY EGYPTIAN.

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