As I walked to the union this morning, I saw a large group of people holding protest signs. Immediately I became excited and inspired. I ran over to see what was happening, only to discover that they were protesting the new housing policy. I expected to find people acting on the situation our country has found itself in, but I only found people further consumed in their campus lives. At the beginning of the year, Warch, as he always does, reminded the freshman class that it is their business to learn. It appears that our school heard Warch’s message, but failed to interpret it correctly. We, as a school, are consumed with ourselves. We claim to be educated, yet our focus is small. Yes, we learn about wonderful things like music, English, history, art, math, and science, but where does our education stop? Are we finished learning as soon as we step out of the classroom?
I challenge you to educate yourselves. Take the time to learn about the war. Learn why we are there. Learn what we did to cause a group of people to take tens of thousands of lives.
At the risk of being anti-war and anti-American, learn before you formulate opinions. Open up several newspapers. Find articles that are unbiased. Attend the lectures being offered on campus. Discuss the war with people at your lunch tables. Listen to contrasting points of view. Try to understand what is happening. Question why we are there.
It is the duty of anyone seeking a liberal education to learn as much as they can about the war. As students of liberal arts, it is our job to know what is happening and understand why.
I don’t want campus to shut down. Still concern yourselves with housing policy and homecoming, but you should be just as impassioned about the world outside of Lawrence. According to Warch, our business here is to learn. Why then are we not completing our business?