So stop me if you’ve heard this one: “I’d pay more attention to current events if they weren’t so depressing.” It’s a sentiment that I run into a lot these days and I can understand it: Abramoff, Iraq, George Bush. Every now and then, we’ve all just got to put down the paper. But no matter how upset that person, place, or thing makes you, ignoring it isn’t the answer. If something’s making you upset, the most rational thing you can do about it is… well, do something about it. It’s frustrating, exhausting, painful, but it’s the only way.

Now I’m not saying that you need to take to the streets or anything (though I certainly won’t stop you), but just staying up-to-date on current events is something. Spending 15 minutes a day with The New York Times means that you can make smart decisions, debate other people, and vote intelligently. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even change someone’s mind.

Some people say that Environmental Studies is the most depressing major on campus and I’m likely to agree. But you can’t just leave it at that. You need to ask yourself, “Why is it so depressing?” Well, because it’s a constant reminder that we - Dartmouth, America, people - are doing something wrong, something important. And if it’s important enough to get you upset about it, then you can’t just pretend that you don’t care.

But there I go, getting all doom-and-gloom and that’s only part of the take-home message. The other part is that you care about something important! That means something. That’s something that transcends the day-to-day drama of frat parties and midterms. It’s something beautiful and profound and bigger than yourself and you can be a part of it; as long as you can get past the occasional evening news gut-shot.