Isn’t the bus too crowded, shouldn’t more people bike to campus? Does every student on campus really need their own car? How much pollution do we contribute from our indifference? How much do we throw away? Couldn’t we recycle more of that? Don’t we all care about climate change? Why don’t we take such simple steps to prevent it: like biking or carpooling? Why is it “not my problem” when it’s our problem? When will it be your problem?

Isn’t it true that McDonald’s has served over 9 billion? Did you know I still can’t cook? Wouldn’t you agree that most students can’t cook? Do you think 90% of Americans really have healthy diets? Do you think riding the elevator one floor and diet could be related? Don’t you get annoyed when people ride the bus across campus? Don’t we buy our kids too much fast food? Why is childhood obesity so high? How could we allow ourselves to get so lazy when simple things like walking to class or up the stairs could help?

Why don’t you do the readings in class? Why do you insist on trying to bullshit your answers? This stuff is cool, why don’t you want to learn about it? Do you feel like the professor is always talking above your head? Or are they really treating you like a child? Why does my advisor have to babysit four hundred and fifty adults? Why is everyone in a fraternity or sorority? Is that how you choose to define yourself, through a group? Why are SAT reading levels their lowest in forty years? Why do grades go up as standard scores go down? What happened to education?

Do you know who the Speaker of the House is? Can you name three people who’ve walked on the moon? Can you name the GSB President? Tell me, how many senators does Iowa have? Do you remember what Pete Conrad did? Do you think people will remember Lady Gaga? Who is more important? Whose achievements are more spectacular, more note-worthy? Don’t you find it sad that we idolize celebrities while we forget American heroes? Do you really care about this or are you apathetic?

Will this shake your apathy: why are there 4 percent more deaths from treatable diseases in the U.S. now compared to 1973? Why do top corporations have the largest economies? Why do 47 percent of Americans say they live “paycheck to paycheck”? Why is the poverty rate over 15 percent? Why do six out of ten Americans want to reduce government aid? Don’t 70 percent of American families receive federal aid? Then why do 54 percent of Americans say government programs didn’t help them? Why do one in three Americans think politics is too complicated for them? Not your problem? What do you expect to do after graduation when it becomes your problem?

Will this shake you: why have all 50 states applied for the affordable care act, when 26 of them challenge its legality? Why do Americans think Obama raised taxes? Why has Michele Bachmann’s family farm received over $154,000 in subsidies? Why have Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae spent $174,000,000 on lobbyists? Why has Rick Perry received thousands of dollars from a drug company that makes a Gardasil? Why don’t we know our politicians?

Do you know someone in the military? Why don’t you raise concerns about the 455 American soldiers in Afghanistan who died in combat last year? Did you know that 407 U.S. troops have committed suicide in Afghanistan? Wouldn’t that imply that nearly as many soldiers committed suicide as died in combat? Anyone you know? Ever wonder why? Or why don’t we hear about the 607 Afghans killed by U.S. forces last year. Did you know only 2 of the Afghans killed were on the U.S. terror list? Doesn’t that mean we killed 605 innocent civilians?

People hardly consider the facts and figures of reality. As college students we should ask questions. How else can we know the real world? We have eyes and ears but we cannot see or hear. It’s time to use your brains and engage your senses; it’s time to start asking questions.

I have one more question. Can we be more than bored and apathetic?