One night a year, each major broadcasting network cancels all of its  regularly scheduled programming and airs the president’s State of the Union address. And one night a year, millions of college students groan that their TV shows are not on.

But students should stop and listen because as unfortunate as it is, they will inherit the success and failures of those who came before.

Students today are more versed with who the hottest celebrities are and who had the funniest tweet than they are with who runs their freedoms and liberties.

College students of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s were involved with sit-ins, riots, political rallies and protests.

Students at Kent State in Ohio were gunned down for protesting the Vietnam War. Students at Columbia University in New York took over most of the campus and sat-in over a segregated gym facility. These college students were active in their political views and their freedom of speech.

But today, the new thing is whining over Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and whatnot.

Students have a voice. So why is it not heard?

Politics can be extremely boring. That’s just how it is. But inside all of that boring blah blah are important messages to all Americans.

College students should want to know what the president is doing. They should want to know what’s happening with health care, retirement, Social Security, gas prices and the list goes on.

And yet, students aren’t protesting. They aren’t sitting-in, demanding that the government deal with these issues. Do students even care?

As a student in America, many freedoms are offered, but if they’re not exercised, why have them at all?

This generation needs to step up to try and help the past one fix its problems so the next generation won’t be doomed to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors.

Becoming well-versed in the aspects of what’s happening in the world is a start. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” And as students, it’s time to accept that call to action.