Actions speak louder than apathy

Although the "Polite Society" column has many aims, the clear objective is to create a group of well rounded individuals. There are many differing definitions of the "well-rounded" person, but what we will focus on this week is a trait that numerous college students tend to throw by the wayside: activity. While examining tasks such as walking, texting and using a library computer, we will see the divide between effective activity and that of its opposite.

For most students at ISU, walking is the main means of travel. Walking to class, to a friend's dorm and to Coffee Grounds have become everyday activities. However, the examination of this activity can tell us much about a person's character.

Picture yourself taking a brisk walk to the science building, knowing you are fully capable of making it to class in 10 minutes time. Now, you are not Lighting McQueen here, but people seem to be getting out of your way.

The reason for this is simple; you have purpose. Other pedestrians see a certain determination on your face. Guessing you would not be a person to interrupt, they slouch to the outside and let you take the lead on the sidewalk. The key to this activity is speed. Zooming by the slow pokes generally puts you in first place.

Another everyday, if not every second of our crazy lives, activity is texting. Whether it is just to say "hey" or to check on the status of Zumba class, texting is one of our main actions. This activity can be heightened by simply being active. Imagine receiving a text which questions, "What are u doing?" The only missing aspects to make this a grammatically correct sentence are the "y" and the "o" of the word "you."

The inactivity of not taking the time to press those two missing buttons, is frankly, unbelievable. It would literally take a half second of your time and about one centimeter of space to complete this task, with activity. The completion of this shows the person you are contacting that they mean more to you than just one lousy letter, and, above all, discards musings about your extreme laziness.

Facebook seems to be the award-winning distraction of youth in America. Status updates, breakups, hookups and many more silly social entities have become the focal point of our procrastination. We've all been there; sitting in the library "working" on a paper, when the temptation of Facebook creeps up on us. You abandon the composition that is due tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. for that ADORABLE picture of a puppy someone found on Stumble Upon.

To the patrons of the library, you are wasting their time by forcing them to wait on a computer. Not to mention, you cannot take a person staring at baby dogs very seriously. Be active in this task. Get your work done so others can use the public space, and look at little canines on your own time.

Between walking, texting and using a public space, there are exhibitions of laziness and determination. The way you appear is directly affected by how you perform these actions. And the effort involved is minimal. Walk faster. Exercise your fingers. And, don't forget, other people want to waste their time on Facebook.