When you are bogged down with countless hours of school and extra-curricular activities, it can be difficult to think outside of your immediate environment.

It seems to us that it often takes incidences like an airplane disappearing for students to know that there are oceans outside the Gulf of Mexico.

We believe that students need global perspective. Having a global perspective is to be able to remove your own cultural bias from your understanding of the world and your place within it.

There are significant problems with keeping your beliefs and motivations limited to your own country’s mentality. The U.S. is incredibly powerful on the global stage and has a lot resources to do good. Unfortunately, citizens are not as engaged in international issues as they are with Kim Kardashian’s baby.

Take this into consideration: Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. has been sending unmanned aerial vehicles – drones – to strike villages, frequently traveled roads and remote areas in Yemen and Pakistan. “Living Under Drones,” a New York University and Stanford University project suggested that while the intention is to kill the Taliban, realistically casualties result from indiscriminate shrapnel or from simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, consider the last time you read about an accidental casualty from a drone strike in U.S. reported in the news. Then, consider the last time you read something about a Western celebrity, such as Amy Adams.

We feel that a sickness in our society is evident when people are completely removed from their government’s actions and over-invested in superficial events. Ignorance can kill and the disengaged citizens are to blame.

We call for students to explore news outlets that report from different countries such as Amnesty International or Al-Jazeera – and not just Al-Jazeera America.

Culturally rich and magnificent places outside of the U.S. do exist. We encourage students to study abroad and to specifically seek programs that give the local experience of being in a different country. When you go abroad, you are not only adding to your resume but also expanding your understanding of the world.

We want students to look for classes that provide in-depth analyses of cultures dissimilar to ours. There are courses are available in the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences that give students a rich historical background in various cultures that have existed and some that still do.

The College of Business can give students an opportunity to expand their global knowledge by offering international business and international marketing classes.

We commend this year’s Loyola Student Peace Conference for actively engaging those with a global mindset. We encourage all students to attend the last events of Loyola’s Peace Week today. Through student panelists and keynote speaker; the conference has successfully challenged the perspective of U.S. college students. The last events will be a panel and a guest speaker from the Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition Drone Task Force, Ken Caron.

Get involved. Get informed. Go global.

The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board.