There was an 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan today.

I’m sitting in the cafe at Buchanan and I’m looking around wondering if any of these people know? How long does information take to reach us?

As a member of the Global Citizens Committee at Totem Park I’m making an effort to inform myself. I set my homepage to The Globe and Mail in hopes of catching some headlines every time I open up the internet. But I can’t help but feel naive, uninformed and trapped in a bubble.

I have so much respect for people in International Relations and people who keep up with the news. For the next 7 days I’m challenging myself to read the news every single day.

How many of us are living in a UBC sphere? Caught up with midterms, essays, gossip, parties, personal health and work. How long does it take to think about the world around us?

How many of us are oblivious to what’s going on? Can you explain what’s happening in Egypt? Libya? Japan? Pakistan? Who even knows what’s going on with Canadian politics.

Read the news. Just do it.