In the past ten years, the number of people attending post-secondary institutions in the United States has risen more than 45 percent.

But are Americans really getting smarter?

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”

Using this statement as a guide, I would venture to say that even though more people are now attending universities, they are not developing into people with great minds.

College, though considered an institution of higher learning, is a proven breeding ground for rumors, drama and slander.

I do not believe that college students aren’t intelligent enough to have Eleanor Roosevelt’s definition of a great mind; I just believe that in general we are too lazy to try.

It’s much easier to talk about the latest stupid thing your friend has done than it is to talk about serious issues.

After a long week of classes, we tend to want to turn off our brains and relax.

However, I think there are a number of other reasons besides laziness that we are inclined to gossip about people.

Among them are self-righteousness, low self-confidence, ignorance, defensiveness and overall an unwillingness to blame yourself for a problem.

My dad once told me something I like to call the common factor rule.

He said that if you have the same problems with multiple people, it is most likely not because of them, but because of you since you are the common factor throughout all of the issues.

Most people on campus would tell you that Baker has a lot of drama.

Women arguing with women, men fighting with men, girlfriends accusing boyfriends and vise versa.

With that being said, I believe that this campus would benefit greatly from its members attempting to cut down on the drama and instead strive for Eleanor Roosevelt’s definition of a great mind instead of a small one.

Simply accept responsibility for your actions and don’t blame all of the discord in your life on other people’s problems.

My dad’s common factor rule taught me to take a step back and examine myself when I had altercations with other people.

So the next time you are tempted to complain about a problem you’re having with someone, pause and decide whether the problem really is the other person, or if it’s only yourself.