Students should stay in-the-know with world news to prepare for the future.

By HiLite Staff

Last month we witnessed riots in Tunisia that led to full revolution in Egypt. We also experienced the introduction of new labor legislation in Madison, WI. These events could not have happened at a better time. At this school, we have started to prepare for spring break, traditionally a time for vacationing, and these events just emphasize how necessary it really is to know what is going on in the world.

The fact is that many students here know little about what goes on outside of our semi-sheltered lifestyles. We live in Carmel and many of us really don’t care about what goes on in the rest of the world.

Sure, most of us know about the crises in places such as Egypt and Tunisia where citizens have demonstrated against oppressive leaders and extremely high unemployment, but only a relatively few people know about small events like the riots in Mauritania and Syria and the election trouble in Sudan and Djibouti. Why, after all, should we care?

Here’s why: As members of society, we have an obligation to know what is happening in the world, and we certainly have the means. Unlike previous generations, we have unlimited access to a wealth of knowledge and resources. With the Internet, we have full coverage of world news available at our fingertips. Television stations are available in increasing numbers as well.

Aside from the traditional news sources, we also have access to a new connectivity that has never before been experienced. Social media is definitely becoming a key way to stay updated on world news. If current statistics are accurate, almost everyone here is connected through social networking outlets. So whether you choose to follow CNN on Twitter or become a fan of the New York Times on Facebook, you can get updates on a daily basis that will give brief summaries of the news and that will also link you to more information.

In addition to staying abreast of news for our own knowledge, we also need to know what is going on in the world for our own safety. We are an extremely mobile generation. According to the U.S. Travel Association, members of our generation take 3.9 leisure trips per year in comparison to our parents’ generation who take an average of 3.5 leisure trips.

We are the generation who wants to go, see and explore with little regard to conflict, but that desire to travel must be tempered with a healthy knowledge of potential risks we may encounter.

Many of us don’t realize how much these events outside of our homes really affect our lives, but they do. After Libya began to slide into civil war recently, gas and food prices began to soar. When a labor bill was proposed in Wisconsin’s congress, state legislature broke into turmoil. We are truly affected by what happens across the globe just as much as by what happens in Indianapolis.

Outside of world conflict, it is also important for us to remember that we are living in a new global economy. For the first time ever, we are competing with people across the globe for job and economic opportunities. As places like Israel and China boom, we are facing more competition than ever before.

Perhaps most important for us to remember is that, as philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We must pay attention to what is going on right now in the world, so we can prepare ourselves for the future. We don’t want to make the same mistakes twice.

Preparing ourselves for the future is too important to just disregard current events. As the future generation, we should know what is going on so we can properly prepare ourselves for the future.

In order to do this, students should stay updated with the latest news through news and social media resources and try to understand the scope of how events outside of home affect everyone.