Walking across campus on Tuesday, students were crowding around the sorority and fraternity tables. Diligent efforts to raise money and get students to join their organizations were in full swing while people laughed and conversed with a sense of joy. Something was missing. Concern.  To my dismay there wasn’t any concern about what is happening to our education and around the world. I mean do the students of CSUN really care?

Some faculty members and students reacted with anger over an article about blow jobs in the Sept. 10 issue of the Daily Sundial. What shocked me was more people reacted to an article about “blow jobs” than the amazing articles about the Metrolink tragedy.

I was shocked at those who wasted their time and energy on a 600-word column about how blow jobs affect a relationship. From the looks of things here at CSUN, the reaction was the liveliest I’ve seen. That time and energy should be focused on fighting for our education that is hard to come by these days.

Why aren’t we protesting against those who threaten to take our education away? Why aren’t we concerned with issues like job loss, budget cuts, healthcare or more troops going to war? Why aren’t we fighting for causes that are worth fighting for?

Right now our country is in a battle to provide healthcare for those who simply can’t afford to pay for it.  Some people get healthcare through work but it’s not enough for their children.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008 almost 20 percent of the California population is uninsured.  In an economic crisis like this students should be vocal regarding this important problem.

There are approximately 14.9 million people unemployed in this country. Once again, students should be speaking out about causes such as this.

The increase in job loss affects all of us.  Without jobs, students are unable to afford tuition, books, food, etc.  And how many of those jobless are parents with children in college?  Without a job, are parents unable to provide their children with an education?

Financial aid is not what it used to be.  There are more and more students being forced to get a student loan because they don’t qualify for financial aid.

Faculty members have lost 9.23 percent of their annual salaries this year because of the recent budget cuts.  As we all know students are experiencing furlough days.

Because of the recent budget cuts, classes were cut and the class sizes increased.  We are paying more for education but we are getting less of one.

In America we have the right and freedom to voice our opinion, but we ignore it when it comes to causes that matter most. Did we as a society forget what freedom of speech means?

This year alone tuition went up 10 percent and to add insult to injury that 10 percent turned into a 30 percent increase.  We should be fighting for our rights as students. The idea that we don’t speak out against these educational travesties is an insult to democracy and our freedom.

Many went to the “Vent at the tent” to express their anger about the recent budget cuts, increase in tuition, and not being able to add classes.  But it seems that’s all it was: a day for people to vent. Then what? It’s over? We vent, feel better and skip away merrily?

Many people expressed their opinions and frustrations that week, but what about other days? Where are the protests, rallies and walkouts? We need to continue to fight for our education and future.

I understand that people need to have fun and go out on a Saturday night.  I also understand that students have other concerns such as jobs and trying to graduate on time, but really, how are we going to graduate on time when there are no classes available? What happens after graduation? What about your future? When is it a good time to be concerned about these issues? The time is now.

As students we have a chance to change what is happening to us now, so instead of wasting your energy on an article about blow jobs, voice your opinion on causes that matter because in the end, what we do have is our voice, freedom and democracy.