With the election getting closer and closer, politics have been on my mind more than ever before. What baffles me is when I'm talking to someone, and something like the election or politics comes up, and that makes who I'm talking to uncomfortable. Why does it make people our age uncomfortable to talk about topics that matter to them and the future of our country? We need stronger voices and more interest in the world outside of our day-to-day lives and what's behind the screen of our cell phones.

Is our generation so self-involved that we don't feel the need to read the newspaper or watch the political debates? When was the last time that you stood up for a cause that you feel strongly about? Are you even registered to vote? What are you learning in college outside of your classes?

College is a place for you to learn more about yourself and the world around you before you get thrown into society as a working being. If all you're getting out of college is how to plug numbers into a formula, the dates of the Civil War, or when to reference a work in italics or keep it underlined in your essay, then I feel that you're missing half of the point of higher education.

A wise professor once told me that, "The purpose of higher education is to strengthen student's critical thinking abilities." How incredibly true is that? You don't sit in a hot, crowded lecture hall for four hours a week to memorize your notes that you take to regurgitate them on the multiple-choice exam. You're in school to be curious, become independent, and grow. Take what you learn in lecture and apply it to your everyday life. Think critically about what you learn, even question it!

Put down your phone for an hour each day and spend some time learning about things you wouldn't normally. Turn on the news while you write that paper for class, open the newspaper while you wait for your professor to pass back your exams, or download apps on your smart phones to learn more about current events. Why not take the opportunities we have to learn more about what's going on around us?

I challenge you to stop being so comfortable in your daily conversations. Talk about things that matter to you. We have a say in the future of this country, so let's start talking about it.