New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman dubbed current college students “Generation Q” for being idealistic and hardworking but also incredibly quiescent when confronted by society’s problems.

Friedman notes students are too often cooped up in our personal worlds to take notice of the problems going on right outside our windows.

Here in Athens-Clarke County, the possibility of running out of water would be such a problem, but for now student response has been typical – essentially nonexistent.

The most activity I’ve seen is a Facebook group called, “Conserve Water in Athens!!!!” and cheeky editorials in The Red & Black suggesting showering together. We must get out of our bubbles and look for solutions since the water levels in the rivers and reservoirs of northeast Georgia are falling every day and possibly could prevent us from coming back next semester.

I don’t know enough about hydrology and water management to offer a viable solution, but we have people at this University who do. As students studying a wide array of disciplines, we often spend more time focusing on the theoretical side of our studies while ignoring opportunities to do something about it.

Let’s start to put our academic training to good use. A problem like finding water resources needs a variety of experts to solve, from business majors working with local industry on conservation measures to geologists searching for new sources. Professors can take leading roles, rising beyond their academic duties to make a substantial and practical difference in the community.

We need a university-sized Manhattan Project to establish a sustainable water plan for the ACC area that will not only guide us through this drought but also prepare us for any future changes in climate.

But I’m a realist. University President Michael Adams might read this, chuckle at my naiveté and then turn back to his phone to dial up fundraisers.

The one or two ACC commissioners who care enough about students to read this will cluck about meddlesome students daring to interfere in their city with a university problem.

Even if the authorities would be willing to support such a project, the cynic in me says most members of the student body would be content to attend their Halloween parties or play Halo all night long.

We students can’t be bothered to confront a problem that already affects Atlanta and will in future years affect many other cities across the United States.

That is, we find it within ourselves to band together over something other than football, since solving the water crisis is just as critical to the survival of our football field. With the assistance of university personnel and the ACC government, concerned and capable University students could prove to the local community we’re good for something other than our sales tax revenue.

- Chris Chiego is a junior from Memphis, Tenn., majoring in international affairs and history.