Typically summers are for kicking back and unwinding after two stressful semesters. Most importantly summers are for having three months for everyone’s brains to recuperate from finals.
While this season is vital to kicking back and getting one’s tanning game on it should not be wasted away. I'm not saying you shouldn’t spend it on the beach.
Summer is a time for us students to experience something different than the fast-paced fall and spring semesters. It is a time where students can be as productive (or least productive) as they choose, and in whichever fashion they choose.
Students can further their education on campus through summer classes, without the overbearing credit load that fall and spring have. They can increase their cultural knowledge by taking a trip abroad. They can intern with their dream company or get a summer job to help pay their way through school. Anything a student wants to do, they can.
I’m not saying you should take classes over the summer, or do any of the other things I mentioned. But, it is important to be productive in some capacity- whether it be educational, personal or vocational. I am calling for this growth to come from one thing that students hardly ever have time for during the school year, reading the news.
With all the political activism on campus in the past weeks, it seems that the long break of summer could quell this newfound fire that just rose up on Auburn’s campus. Don’t let it. Spend the summer reading news articles, articles from around Auburn, around your community, and from around the globe.
Summer is the only time during the year that students will actually have enough free time to scroll through various news articles without the looming deadlines of projects and essays.
No matter which path you choose this summer, stay in touch with the world.
Try to read from liberal, conservative, and moderate news sources. So at the very least you can understand why the people in opposition to you think the way they do.
Educate yourself on the goings on in France, China, South Sudan, Venezuela and everywhere in between- including the United States. Don’t let anything slip under your nose.
Even if you think global affairs is boring, it is essential to understanding politics in the United States. Even if you don’t want to read about global affairs, the least you could do is read about domestic affairs. Understand what’s happening in Congress, the Alabama Legislature and in your hometown.
Don’t come back from summer break without knowing who the next president of France is. Don’t come back without knowing who your congressman is. These people and events play a vital role in the outcome of your day to day life and America as a whole. These events will happen whether you’re paying attention or not, but don’t make the mistake of not paying attention.
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