APATHY: Lack of interest or concern. See NIU student body.

It seems the buzzword around campus is apathy. Now, not all NIU students are apathetic. However, besides the big issues, there is also a lack of concern when it comes to common courtesy—student-to-student style.

A good example of this happens every week at the student center. For instance, “Cape Fear” played there on Sunday night. I hadn’t been to see a movie there in awhile, and I had no idea why. Now, I remember.

First of all, for a while, the sound wasn’t matching the mouths of the actors. It was more annoying than that Stork Chocolate Riesen commercial where the kid grows up and still has this weird fetish about how he wants his candy. In case you haven’t seen it, it’s not that noticeable at first, but once you see it, it really bothers you. Like iridescent blue eyeshadow or a hangnail.

That wasn’t that big of a deal, I admit, but the best was yet to come. To all the people who incessantly talk, yell, gab, remark, shoot off one’s mouth, etc. etc., during the entire movie (and you know who you are) SHUT UP! A movie just doesn’t make as much sense when you can’t hear what they’re saying. Call me illogical, but I thought movies were for watching. I paid my two dollars just like everyone else, and the people who talk might as well put their two dollars towards something more important to them, like a Mr. Microphone (Hey good lookin‘, I’ll be back to shut you up later!) or a long distance phone call. In the words of the newspaper kid in “Better Off Dead,” I want my two dollars.

Another problem with apathy happens in places all over campus. In Spanish class this week, everything was fine, besides the fact of being in the mysterious basement/first floor of DuSable Hall on such a nice day. Not more than five minutes into class, I realized that because some lowbrow, half-wit bonehead was too lazy to throw out his/her gum and stuck it under the desk instead, I now had gum stuck to my leg. It wasn’t the fact that I had ruined a good pair of tights, but the fact that I had to deal with and handle some formerly gnawed upon mystery gum. This is not the first time this has happened, nor am I the only one it has happened to. To put it simply, it’s hard to believe people can’t find the will to do something as menial as throwing out gum. It’s gross, it’s vile, do cut it out.

There is also a lost concept of culture at NIU called “pass on the right.” Hoards of people bombarding down both sides of the staircase when class gets out, so the few people going up have to risk death or at least risk becoming part of the plaster on the wall. Not only that, but the same goes for doors. Why do some people insist on going in the left door so people trying to get out end up slamming into them, or better yet, the door?

Yes, these are only small, nonetheless, annoying examples of apathy on campus. But if such simple things as apathy for common courtesies can’t be overcome, what happens to all the more important issues like apathy toward student government, who our next U.S. president will be or even saving our own planet?

And I thought “Cape Fear” was scary.

… At least, what I heard of it.