There's something becoming more and more apparent in Southeast Missouri State University classrooms. No, it's not a sudden lack of student hygiene or a rise in the popularity of the reverse Mohawk. Believe it or not, it is something far more sinister and detrimental to the education of the average student: a lack of participation.

It's almost ridiculous how many times in one class period a professor can pose a question, only to be met with blank faces and the nervous shuffling of students' feet. Even simple queries about plans for the weekend can receive such a deadpan look the professor might as well have just asked students to state the meaning of life in under 12 syllables. What makes today's college students so afraid to voice their opinions in front of their peers? Do they fear ridicule from friends and professor alike?

They shouldn't. No one is so bored that they sit waiting in class for someone to speak up with an uninformed answer. With very few exceptions, professors are just as forgiving of an incorrect response as long as the student in error spoke up earnestly and with an intent to learn.

The basic problem with a class period devoid of student input is just that: it lacks student input. People don't think alike, nor is a problem typically solved in the same way by two different people. Adding a varying array of students' thoughts, ideas and solutions to a 50-minute class can turn the most boring of lectures into an engaging debate.

That's not to say each and every course is a complete drag without students talking, but even the most innovative of classes can be so much more entertaining and educational with an active student forum. It's part of human nature to discuss and argue topics.

Of course, the lack of participation can also be explained by saying students are simply not reading their books or keeping up with assignments. If that is the case, then why bother even going to class? If a student is lacking the drive to learn and improve his or her ability to reason, then perhaps they should stay on the couch, surround themselves with inaction and watch reruns of "Two and a Half Men."

For everyone else, the next time a professor asks a question, don't shift in your chair and glance about nervously. Take a deep breath and say what's on your mind. Bring the discussion back into the classroom.