I think I know why old people hate us so much. It has to do with squandering opportunity, brain cells, and good livers. Now I know there are those among us, by us I mean young college-goers, who are fueled by a burning desire to learn, succeed, and actuate all those other verbs our college counselors told us to write in our application essays. These people go to class, do homework, and lead organizations. They give credence to those good reputations schools like Guilford have.

But then there are the rest of us.

I’m a member of the Guilford College Complaints and Pharmaceuticals Club, (we’re not actually recognized by Senate — yet). We meet, irregularly, and talk about the big issues — about how we hate going to class, about the ridiculous abundance of mac and cheese in the cafeteria, and about how we can most creatively and economically expand our minds on a Friday night.

Our rival club is the Guilford College Ho-Hum League. They meet with greater regularity to talk about similar issues. Friday nights you will most likely find them charting all the various ways in which they find college to be a waste of time.

So why do old people hate us? Because we have opportunities like attending a small private college and still we are card-carrying members of these clubs.

We zoom through these four years kicking and screaming all the while. We cut corners and classes. We appreciate little. We walk in burnt out and hung over to take exams.

This makes me wonder.

If I hate going to class so much, why the hell am I in college in the first place? If I put more energy into acquiring drugs than I do into a midterm, am I ready for higher learning? If I feel like I’m wasting my time, shouldn’t I do something else? Who else’s time, if not money, am I wasting? What right do I have to be so jaded and unappreciative of an education?

But who will ask these questions? More importantly, who will do anything different once they have the answers?