Be Aware

Is there any creature more arrogant and presumptuous than a college student? I think not. The student lives on something that is called a campus, some sort of complex that serves to cut off the student from the world at large. It is within this bubble that the student lives, works, and participates in leisurely activities. Studies and learning are all very good and are not troublesome in general, but the student becomes especially annoying when he or she becomes riled up about this, that, or the other. It is here that the average student is transformed into a fool. A student might take interest in an issue, perhaps something going on in society, and become so excited about said issue that he feels the need to take action. The student will often adopt a rather self-centered attitude, viewing himself as a frontrunner for the future, a new hope of free society and academia, becomes a nuisance. Protests, petitions, meetings, student groups, fliers, fundraisers, and all of this for what? It seems to me that most of the time, this is simply an effort to make the student feel useful while pursuing an education. Students want to matter, they want to be relevant, and yet their attempts to do so are often laughable. They live inside the bubble of academia, among the academics. That is not exactly the real world. But, the students persist. The idealisation of their position as the supposed leaders of a generation compels them to take some sort of action. This idealisation has been more or less ingrained into them. Yes, the children are our future, but not if they are fools. By all means, ignore the wisdom of wiser men, rebel against "the system" by starting a Facebook group to "Save Darfur" or to "raise awareness" for whatever cause you're supporting, and tell me what that accomplishes.

Let's look at this concept of "raising awareness." Awareness, what is it? Being aware? I am supposed to be "aware" of things like gay rights, the war in Iraq, AIDS, Darfur, and the list goes on. BE AWARE, is what I'm told. Very well, I am aware. Now what shall I do with my awareness? If I become any more aware, I dare say that my eyes will pop themselves right out of my head. I want to raise awareness, too. I want everyone to be aware of fish. Not just any fish, mind you. Sardines. Do you know what the fishing industry does to millions of sardines each year? They put them in cans. Tiny little cans. And then they ship them off to countries all over the world, sentencing them to horrible fates. Yes, that's right. Life on a shelf in a grocery store. Is that right? Is that fair? Who speaks for the fish? No one, that's who. So I'm starting a student group for Sardine Awareness at Southwestern University. I'm calling it SA For SU. We want to get the message out so that all of our friends will know about the sardines, and they can tell their friends, and they in turn will tell theirs, and soon, we'll have an entire campus of penniless college students who are aware of the suffering of the sardines. Only then will we have accomplished something.

Knowledge is power, and a bunch of college kids with no experience in the ways of the world, no money, no jobs, and no influence can change the world. As long as they are aware. Be aware.

Note: Although this post is served with a heavy dose of sarcasm, I am being serious as well.