Editorial: Pay attention to the news

It’s easy to be caught up in your day-to-day lives with the many stresses that finals and group projects create. You may feel any extra or free time you have is consumed.

College is a time where many personal goals can be achieved, and those goals are at the forefront of everything most college students do on a day-to-day basis.

It’s a time to be worried about yourself and go after your dreams, and only truly be responsible for yourself. It’s why older people often say, “stay in school as long as you can.” As hard as it seems in the moment, being in school can be one of the most selfish times in many students’ lives.

However, it is still important to keep up with what is happening in the world. While international and even national events might seem far off and distant, they are still happening, and people around the world are still reaping the consequences of these events. 

It might not affect your life directly, but world events are important to stay updated on because they are affecting other people’s lives and even possibly your own future.

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President Donald Trump is still under investigation for potential corruption and wrongdoing that could have possibly landed him in the presidency.  

What happens to the U.S. government does immediately affect the future success of this country, as well as the success of students as we graduate and enter the job market.

We each have a routine: We wake up, we go to our scheduled classes, we go to work and we finish our homework. Our days may seem pretty repetitive and mundane, and while no immediate effects of world events are noticed, this does not mean that they are not happening.

The Syrian Civil War rages on, creating even more upheaval and distress in the Middle East. The recent chemical attacks left at least 69 people dead. People are suffering and governments around the world are reacting in their own ways.

The U.S. recently dropped “the mother of all bombs” on Afghanistan, in an effort to thwart ISIS militants. It’s a decision that was both praised and denounced by U.S. citizens.

While they might feel far away, these things are happening on the same planet that we are living on.  Students need to take responsibility for keeping up with recent news events. It is better to be informed about the world around you than to go blindly through life with no concern for those around us.
We know it’s not always easy to make an effort to stay informed, but staying updated with the news can make you a more well-rounded and knowledgeable person.