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On the surface, the Daily Bruin office seems like no place for a carefree college student. A windowless, cluttered, stuffy office partitioned by cubicles, it looks like boot camp for the working world. Why would anyone want to spend hours almost every day, sometimes cutting spring breaks or Mother’s Days short, for much of one’s college career?

Who wouldn’t?! Considering what I’ve learned working at The Bruin since winter quarter of my freshman year and what this job has demanded of me, it’s hard to leave. Leaving UCLA isn’t much of a big deal for me, but I’ve grown attached to The Bruin because being here made me want to learn about the world.

I hate to say it, but I think it was only until this year, my last year at UCLA, that I developed a real desire to learn for learning’s sake rather than out of a sense of duty or obligation. I’m glad it was a part of my job description.

The job description for an assistant Viewpoint editor calls for a grasp of current events, from the university level to the global level. I first thought I was decently informed, but the more I researched, the more I found how little I knew.

It’s incredibly important to keep tabs on world events, especially when the news is constantly changing. The more people know, the more the world becomes a cause for concern – but also a more interesting place.

With things changing fast, it’s hard to form opinions without doubting them. Trying to keep informed in these times may sound futile, but it’s enough at least to try. It isn’t sufficient to just be concerned with the opening of an on-campus bar and not much else. News that has shown that few American youths can locate Iraq on a map (to be fair, I used to be one), is sobering but understandable.

For many people, staying informed is not a part of the job descriptions, and I don’t blame them. The demands of school, work and a social life leave little incentive to want to know what’s going on across the world or what domestic policies could affect everyday life.

But the notion that we as Americans can insulate ourselves from the rest of the world because of our geography or our power (after all, who needs to know about the little guys?) is proving to be less and less true. And what needs to go away is the idea that issues are black and white. We live in a world of confusion and nuance ... but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lee is thinking of pursuing a career in radio journalism. Do you think he has the face for it?