The Observer, April 20, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 25
One Foot Out the Door: Now is best time to broaden thinking
I feel cleaner. Healthier. A bit more content. Up until a week ago, I wasn't sure why. But when I had a few friends over to my place, one kindly pointed out what was to them painfully obvious – for the past two years I have not had a TV.
This isn't to say I haven't watched TV in the past two years. I have – just not nearly as much as I used to. I'm not sure if college students fall victim to the notorious statistics of the average American (who watches 28 hours/week), but we could definitely be watching less TV. I have no interest in who turned out to be the real father of Anna Nicole Smith's child. Knowing the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy or Lost isn't a top priority either.
It's not that those shows aren't worth the time; I just think our campus has too many better alternatives. This has to be the easiest time to broaden your thinking. At no other phase in life will you be able to switch freely between so many professional, social, academic, cultural, and religious experiences among so many peers attempting the same. Reality TV and 24-hour "news" will always be there. Getting informed outside a classroom might not be.
While a number of issues demand our attention, there are at least two that every student should be informed about by the time they leave Case: health care coverage and Israel/Palestine.
Health Care Coverage: After spending four years in the middle of four major health institutions, there is no excuse not to have an informed opinion about the way our country manages health care. There are 44 million uninsured Americans, including many only a couple years older than us who do not qualify any longer to be covered by their parents. This is a drastically different model than most other industrialized countries, and it is important to understand why.
Israel/Palestine: In the last two weeks alone there have been numerous ways to get informed about tension in the Middle East. The Hillel Center had a guest speaker, a former employee of the Carter Center, who gave a review of Jimmy Carter's latest book. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) showed a free documentary about the coming of age experience of two Palestinian youth.
I choose to highlight these two topics because I feel they are not accurately represented in the media, and because they are core global issues that should resonate with every student on this campus as a global citizen. Surely there are other topics too – a friend proofreading this article asked, "What about Darfur? Tibet? There are a lot of other causes we should know about." I was refreshed to hear that.
I hope your time here at Case broadens your thinking enough to keep pressing more and more into local and global issues; it'll leave you feeling cleaner, healthier, and more content.
Ibrahim is a senior Medical Anthropology major who has just returned from a year abroad in London.
