To be sure, many students feel as if they are far removed from the situation. Unlike the Sept. 11 attacks, which touched extremely close to home, this newest world crisis appears on the surface to pose no immediate threat to most university students. While the implementation of the draft 30 years ago led to widespread interest of college students in the Vietnam War, the possibility of the pending strike on Iraq necessitating another round of selective service seems remote at best. This, coupled with the fact that our generation has never really experienced the effects of an extended, international conflict, can lead to a sense of apathy.

We must not forget, however, that the Iraq question is just one component of the broader war on terrorism, the international conflict that may very well define our generation and produce far-reaching consequences. Immediately, the conflict may impact gas prices or increase the possibility of another terrorist attack within our borders, but also stands to protect our families from the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in the hands of an irrational dictator.

For those graduating, a war on Iraq may affect the economy and job availability, or our classmates in ROTC going on to serve in the armed forces. As young people who will inherit the world being shaped by current policy, we cannot afford to remain indifferent.

Several steps have been taken, of course, to foster dialogue concerning the issue, and such activities are certainly deserving of praise. The Living with the Legacy of Sept. 11 lecture series sponsored by the Political Science department is currently calling attention to events taking place in the Middle East. And even more specific to the issue at hand, a group of students and professors recently drew a large crowd to Shorty's for a roundtable discussion of the implications of a potential pre-emptive strike.

Some students and faculty even went so far as to attend an anti-war protest in Washington several weekends ago. Proactive measures of this nature, be they in support of or in opposition to the strike, are certainly to be encouraged, but let's not forget that our own campus can and should be an equally effective arena for discussion and demonstration. Political activism is not relegated exclusively to Capitol Hill.

Students are in the unique position of possessing both the time and resources to investigate the issue extensively, and everyone, no matter where they fall on the issue, should take advantage of every opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the costs and benefits of the potential conflict. We cannot make full use of the education we receive at the university if we limit it to the content of professors' lectures in the classroom. As students, we have an obligation to take the lessons learned in politics, religion, economics, history and other classes, and apply them to the world in which we live.

And while students must pay greater attention to the issue in various areas of the university community, professors should nevertheless be encouraged to explore the issue in their classes whenever possible. Moving from the theoretical to practical applications should be a goal of a liberal arts education.

The organized political parties on campus, the College Republicans, College Democrats and other groups, are in an excellent position to help encourage dialogue on the issue. Now that the midterm elections are over, both groups should strive to harness the momentum created from the local and state races, and channel it into increasing interest in the ever-important foreign policy realm of government. We have placed our leaders in power; now let's examine exactly how they will be taking on the issues placed before them.

The Democrats and Republicans should focus on increasing their visibility on campus as well, by pooling their resources and sponsoring events to address this important aspect of our nation's foreign policy. There are undoubtedly groups of students on both sides of the issue waiting to be mobilized; they merely need some leadership to get started.

The university's response to Sept. 11 last fall was an impressive display of patriotism, unity and love. Such a reaction was almost automatic, though; everyone knew intuitively where to stand on such a tragic event. The current situation with Iraq is of no less significance to the United States, but neither is it so cut-and-dry. A bit more thought and consideration is required in order to draw conclusions about the current international conflict, and we should do all in our power to make campus an environment that encourages active dialogue and debate.